MEA spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal on Tuesday, described the reports as “baseless”, which suggested that Iran had demanded the return of three vessels seized by India in return for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
“This report is baseless. There has been no discussion between Indian and Iranian authorities of this nature. I would also like to say that in any case, the three vessels that you referred to are not Iranian-owned, neither are there any Iranian crew on these vessels,” ANI quoted Jaiswal as saying
He further added that “they are not tankers, they are vessels.”
The MEA spokesperson’s comments followed in the wake of reports claiming Iran demanded the return of three tankers seized by India in exchange for permitting the safe passage of Indian-flagged or India-bound ships from the Strait of Hormuz.
India still in talks with Iran on several ships
Jaiswal further said that India is still in talks with Iran on several ships that are still there in the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are in talks with Iran and other countries. As our Special Secretary mentioned, many ships are still there in the Strait of Hormuz area. It is our intention to work with Iran and other countries to bring those ships back home safely. This is our objective. Discussions are ongoing on this issue. Regarding humanitarian aid, we are in talks with Iran on a number of issues,” said Jaiswal.
India has reiterated its longstanding position calling for immediate de-escalation through dialogue in the ongoing tensions in West Asia. US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, which resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on 28 February. Tehran subsequently launched retaliatory strikes against Israel and US military facilities across the Gulf region.
“From the very beginning, we have been saying that it has been our position that a dialogue path should be established. A diplomatic channel should be established to bring this conflict to an end as soon as possible. We have also stated that we call on all countries to exercise restraint and prevent the conflict from escalating,” Jaiswal said at Tuesday’s press conference.