India's Neutral West Asia Stance Yields Energy Security Benefits

Speaking about the growing global energy crisis and how different countries are reacting to it, Das told IANS that nations are responding according to their own energy security requirements while also holding consultations with regional allies.

"I think countries are responding to this challenge individually based on their energy security needs, and they are consulting with their partners in the region. I think it's still very early days," she said.

Das also added that the current crisis has not yet produced a coordinated international response.

"Hopefully, the tension and the crisis will end soon. However, there hasn't been any initiative for a collective response as of now. As you know, the whole situation did not start through any UN initiative, so the world's largest multilateral organisation is absent from this discussion," she said.

Explaining India's approach to the conflict in West Asia, Das noted that New Delhi's decisions have been shaped by its national priorities, energy requirements and longstanding relationships with countries across the region.

"India's stand in this case has been driven by its own interests. India is a large country and a major consumer of energy. We also have a significant diaspora in West Asia. We maintain good relations with all the countries in that region. Therefore, our response has naturally been guided by our national interests and our relationships with the various regional players," she said.

Her remarks came as two tankers carrying around 46,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LNG) departed from the Strait of Hormuz for India.

Reacting to this development, Das said India's balanced diplomatic approach was yielding visible benefits.

"As people can see, India is getting benefits out of its neutral stance," she added.

The global energy market has been under intense pressure following escalating tensions between the US and Iran, which intensified into open conflict in late February.

The crisis deepened after joint US and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets reportedly began on February 28, killing Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

The conflict has severely disrupted global oil markets, creating one of the most serious supply shocks in recent decades.

A key factor has been the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime passage through which nearly 20 per cent of the world's daily oil supply and a similar proportion of LNG normally pass.

In response to the attacks, Iran has effectively blockaded or heavily restricted shipping through the strait, causing tanker movements in the area to drop by more than 90 per cent during certain periods.

Tehran has also carried out attacks on oil tankers and energy infrastructure in the Gulf region, further adding to supply concerns.

At the same time, production and exports from several regional oil producers -- including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait -- have been affected by precautionary shutdowns or reduced output.

Amid the disruption, Iran has now granted safe passage to Indian-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz despite the wider restrictions imposed on global shipping, and an LPG tanker sailing to India crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Friday.

The development follows a series of high-level diplomatic engagements between India and Iran, including phone conversations between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Thursday to review the rapidly evolving situation in the West Asia region.

- IANS