Iran’s Supreme Leader’s representative in India, Dr. Abdul Majeed Hakim Elahi, has clarified that Iran has not closed the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Due to the ongoing tension in West Asia, many ships are facing difficulty in passing through there, but there is no restriction from Iran’s side. He said that his country never wanted this sea route to be blocked and even at present some ships are passing through there.
What is the condition of Indian ships and sailors?
The matter of relief for India in this whole matter is that Iran is allowing the ships of friendly countries to pass. Special permission is being given to ships from India, China and Bangladesh.
At present there are 24 Indian ships in the Persian Gulf on which 677 Indian sailors are deployed. There are also 3 Indian ships present in the Gulf of Oman. The Indian government is in continuous talks with Tehran so that at least 20 oil and LPG tankers can be safely evacuated.
What effect is this tension having on the world and business?
The Strait of Hormuz is the most important part of the world’s oil and LNG trade. 20% of the world’s oil passes through this route. But due to security reasons and withdrawal of insurance companies, the movement here has reduced considerably.
Due to security concerns, there has been a huge decline of up to 80% in ship traffic on this route. Due to tension in the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, about 1000 commercial ships and 20 thousand sailors are stranded at different places. Ships belonging to America and Israel are being completely stopped from going through this route. Due to this disruption, a direct impact is being seen on the supply chain of gas and petroleum industries in India also.
What does Iran’s new Supreme Leader have to say?
Iran’s UN Ambassador Amir Saeed Iravani has said that his country respects the movement of maritime vessels. However, Iran’s new Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei has indicated that the option of closing the Strait of Hormuz could be used in the future to apply pressure against opponents. Iran also says that the countries which started the war will have to stop it.
