External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said that diplomatic discussions with Iran have produced some positive outcomes after Tehran permitted two Indian flagged gas tankers to travel through the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran had blocked during its conflict with the United States and Israel. Jaishankar explained that he is still in talks with Iranian authorities, and these discussions have already brought limited progress. He added that the process is ongoing and India will continue engaging with Iran as long as the dialogue leads to constructive results. According to him, India believes that dialogue, coordination, and reasoning are the best ways to resolve such issues.

He clarified that there is no general agreement allowing Indian ships free passage through the strait. Instead, each vessel’s movement is handled separately on a case by case basis. Jaishankar also rejected the idea that Iran received anything in return for allowing the ships to pass. He noted that India and Iran share a long standing relationship, which helped facilitate the discussions during the crisis.

The minister described the current conflict as unfortunate and emphasized that negotiations are still at an early stage. Although the safe passage of the two tankers is encouraging, he said India continues to remain in contact with Iran because many more Indian ships are still in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, where they discussed the safe movement of goods and energy supplies.

The two Indian flagged tankers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, were carrying about 92,700 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas and are expected to reach Mundra and Kandla ports within a few days. The Strait of Hormuz, the only sea route connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, has become a major chokepoint because of tensions in the Middle East. Nearly 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and natural gas shipments pass through this route. Iran blocked the strait as a response to attacks by the United States and Israel, raising concerns about energy supply security in countries such as India and China.

India is the fourth largest importer of liquefied natural gas and the second largest consumer of LPG, which is widely used for cooking and largely imported from the Middle East. Due to possible supply disruptions, the Indian government has instructed that households and transportation sectors should be given priority in gas distribution. Meanwhile, several industries, including ceramic tile manufacturers, are experiencing gas shortages that could affect production.