New Delhi: Citing the “historical relations” between the two countries, Mohammad Fathali said on Saturday that Iran has allowed some vessels from India to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, but he declined to disclose operational details.
“Yes, we have allowed, but let me not tell you how many. As an Ambassador of Iran to India, I will follow this issue in the future as well because Iran and India have historical relations. Of course, as an Ambassador, I have done my best. There was some delay, but it happened,” Fathali said at the annual India Today Conclave in New Delhi when asked how many Indian ships had been permitted transit and for how many days.
The comment comes amid reports that two Indian LPG tankers have been granted passage through the Strait of Hormuz during the ongoing West Asia conflict. Two vessels, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, are expected to arrive in India within a couple of days. The ships are owned by the state-run Shipping Corporation of India Limited.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most vital shipping lanes, through which about 20 per cent of global oil and gas exports transit.
Following the safe passage of the two LPG carriers, reliable sources told IANS that more tankers are lined up to cross the war-affected zone after Iran granted safe passage to Indian-flagged tankers.
Fathali also defended Tehran’s decision to target United States bases in several Gulf countries, saying the Tomahawk missile that reportedly struck a girls’ school in Iran and killed around 170 students was launched from a US base in the region. “We have announced that you will not actually be touched... Your assets, whatever you have inside your country... But, we asked them what we should do when one of our schools, including the children, was hit by American Tomahawk missiles. We respect them completely but we will definitely target the American bases. It is very bad that we witnessed these schools being hit by missiles launched from a base in one of the neighbouring countries,” the envoy remarked.
The ambassador reiterated that Tehran has repeatedly said it is prepared for both negotiation and war. “We announced several times. Iran is ready for negotiation and war. But we prefer negotiation,” he said. Responding to a separate question on the ongoing conflict, he added: “We are also ready for the war. But beware, you can start, but you cannot finish.”
Fathali also referred to a recent telephone conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, noting the call was delayed by technical problems amid the conflict. He said Iran and India share common interests and possess the “political and social maturity” to manage differences and cooperate.
With IANS inputs