External affairs minister S Jaishankar has spoken to his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi thrice in recent days to discuss the safety of shipping and India’s energy security, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday amid reports that Tehran has permitted two Indian-flagged oil tankers, Pushpak and Parimal, to safely pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
At a media briefing here, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the discussion between the two foreign ministers focused on ensuring the safe passage of ships and maintaining stable energy supplies through the region. “EAM (Jaishankar) and the FM of Iran have had three conversations in the last few days. The last one discussed issues pertaining to safety of shipping and India’s energy security. Beyond that, it would be premature for me to say anything,” the spokesperson added.
Iran’s permission to the two Indian tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz is being seen as a step that ensures the secure passage of energy supplies to India amid heightened tensions in the region due to the ongoing war in West Asia.
The spokesperson confirmed that around 9,000 Indian nationals, including students, seafarers, professionals, business people, and pilgrims, are currently in Iran and are being assisted by the Indian authorities amid concerns about their safety back home.
Jaiswal said several of these individuals, particularly students, have already left Iran and returned to India. Others, including students and pilgrims based in Tehran, have been shifted to safer locations and cities within the country.
“We’ve had about 9,000 Indian nationals who were there or who are there in Iran. These 9,000 Indian nationals comprise students, seafarers, business people, professionals and some pilgrims. Several Indian nationals, mostly students, left the country and reached home. We have shifted several Indian nationals, including students and pilgrims, who were based in Tehran to other safer locations and cities in the country,” he said.
“We are assisting Indian nationals who wish to travel to Azerbaijan and Armenia and from there take commercial flights to return home. We are providing help with visas and facilitating land border crossings,” Jaiswal said, adding that multiple Indians have approached the mission for help in crossing into neighbouring countries safely and have been successfully supported in doing so.
The MEA spokesperson urged all Indian nationals desiring to leave Iran via land routes to strictly follow the advisory issued by the Indian embassy.
Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Iraq confirmed a fatal maritime incident involving an international vessel, stating that “a US-owned crude oil tanker Safesea Vishnu, sailing under the Marshall Islands flag, was attacked near Basra, Iraq, in which one Indian crew member lost his life.
“In a series of posts on X shared on Thursday regarding the incident on March 11, the mission detailed the status of the remaining personnel following the strike. It confirmed that “the remaining 15 Indian crew have since been evacuated to a safe place” as regional waters continue to see heightened volatility.