‘It was right thing to do’: Jaishankar briefs Parliament on India permitting docking of Iranian ships | India News

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar (ANI photo)

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 which India granted the next day.Amid rising tensions in the Indian Ocean following the sinking of an Iranian warship by the US last week, Jaishankar informed Parliament about the incident.

An Iranian ship, the IRIS LAVAN, docked at Kochi on March 4, the foreign minister said in a statement to Parliament.This is the first time a senior minister has said that Iran has requested three of its ships to dock at Indian ports.“The Iranian side requested permission on February 28 for three ships from the region to dock at our port. It was granted on March 1. The IRIS LAVAN actually docked at Kochi on March 4. The crew is currently at the Indian naval facility,” he said.“We believe it was the right thing to do and Iran’s foreign minister expressed his country’s gratitude for this humanitarian gesture,” Jaishankar said.The March 4 sinking of the Iranian frigate IRIS Dena by a US submarine off the coast of Sri Lanka raised concerns about the West Asian conflict expanding into the Indian Ocean region.The warship was returning home after participating in the Milan Multilateral Naval Exercise as well as the International Fleet Review organized by India. At least 87 Iranian sailors were killed in the attack.Sri Lanka has allowed another Iranian warship to dock at its eastern port of Trincomalee.The vessel IRINS Bushehr sought permission to enter Sri Lankan waters due to engine failure.In his remarks, Jaishankar also said that the government is fully committed to ensuring energy security of the country.There have been some disruptions to global energy supplies in the wake of the escalating conflict in West Asia.“Given the implications of this conflict for our energy security, I want to address that particular concern. The government is fully committed to ensuring that energy markets take into account availability, costs and risks,” the foreign minister said.“For us, the interests of the Indian consumer always come first and will remain so. Where necessary, Indian diplomacy has supported the efforts of our energy initiatives in this volatile situation,” he said.Jaishankar also said that India believes that dialogue and diplomacy should be pursued to reduce tensions in the Middle East.While outlining India’s position in the Rajya Sabha, Jaishankar said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is closely monitoring the developments and relevant ministries are coordinating to ensure an effective response.The EAM said the ongoing conflict in the Middle East is of “particular concern” for India as more than one crore Indians live and work in the Gulf countries and regions. He added that the region is key to India’s energy security and includes many important suppliers of oil and gas.“Communication with Iran at the leadership level is clearly difficult at this time….Iran’s foreign minister thanked India for the humanitarian gesture of allowing Iranian warship Lavan to dock at Kochi port.”