‘It was the right thing to do’: Jaishankar briefs Parliament on India allowing Iranian ship to dock

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday that Iran had formally requested permission to dock three of its ships at Indian ports, a request that India granted the next day.Tensions have increased in the Indian Ocean after the United States sank an Iranian warship last week, an incident that Jaishankar informed Parliament about.

In a statement in Parliament, the External Affairs Minister said that an Iranian ship IRIS LAVAN docked in Kochi on March 4.This is the first time that a senior Iranian minister has asked three of its ships to dock at an Indian port.“The Iranian side had requested on February 28 to allow three vessels from the area to dock at our ports. This request was granted on March 1. IRIS LAVAN actually docked in Kochi on March 4. The crew is currently at the Indian Naval facility,” he said.“We believe this is the right thing to do and the Iranian foreign minister has expressed Iran’s gratitude for this humanitarian move,” Jaishankar said.On March 4, the Iranian frigate “IRIS Dena” was sunk by a US submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka, triggering concerns that the conflict in West Asia would expand to the Indian Ocean region.The ship is returning home after participating in the Milan multilateral naval exercise and international ship review hosted by India. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack.Sri Lanka has allowed another Iranian warship to dock in its eastern port of Trincomalee.The vessel, IRINS Bushehr, had sought permission to enter Sri Lankan waters citing engine failure.In his speech, Jaishankar also said that the government is fully committed to ensuring national energy security.Affected by the escalation of conflicts in West Asia, global energy supply has experienced certain disruptions.“I have also sought to address this particular issue given the impact of this conflict on our energy security. The government remains committed to fully ensuring this, taking into account the availability, costs and risks in energy markets,” the foreign minister said.“For us, the interest of Indian consumers has been and will always be the overriding priority. When needed, Indian diplomacy supports the efforts of our energy companies in this volatile situation. “Jaishankar also said that India believes that tensions in the Middle East should be eased through dialogue and diplomacy.Outlining India’s position in the Lok Sabha, Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the situation and relevant ministries are coordinating to ensure an effective response.The EAM said the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East were of “particular concern” to India, as more than 10 million Indians live and work in the Gulf countries and regions. He also added that the region is key to India’s energy security and hosts many important oil and gas suppliers.“Engagement with the Iranian leadership at this time is obviously difficult…Iran’s foreign minister has expressed Iran’s gratitude to India for its humanitarian gesture of allowing the Iranian warship Ravan to dock at the Port of Cochin.”