‘Ties are very strong’: Iran summons envoy after India fires on its ships in Hormuz

Iran on Sunday addressed the shooting incident on an Indian-flagged ship in the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran’s top representative in India underlining strong ties and calling for peace amid rising regional tensions.Dr. Abdul Majeed Hakim Elahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, said: “The relationship between Iran and India is very strong. I know nothing about the incident you mentioned and we hope everything goes well and is resolved.”He further called for peace in his statement, “We don’t want this war. We want peace, and we want the other side to follow the peace so that we can have a peaceful region.”Earlier, two Indian-flagged ships, the “Sanmar Herald” and the “Jag Arnav”, were shot at while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, forcing them to change course midway. India lodged a strong protest against this. The ships, carrying about 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude, were reportedly safe, but the incident has strained relations between the two countries.The Ministry of External Affairs summoned Iranian envoy Mohammad Fatali and urged Tehran to restore safe passage for ships heading to India. At the same time, there were reports that a number of ships, including a Greek oil tanker, were also returning after the shooting, and Iran announced a complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz less than 24 hours after announcing the opening of the Strait, citing the US blockade.