India has been invited by the UK to join a meeting of 35 countries that will explore ways to reopen the vital Strait of Hormuz, whose closure has sent oil prices spiralling, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.
The ministry’s spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said the meeting, which will be held on Thursday, will be attended virtually by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
“The UK side has invited several countries, which also include India, for talks on the Strait of Hormuz. From our side, the foreign secretary is attending the meeting this evening,” Jaiswal said.
“We are in touch with Iran and other countries there to see how best we can get unimpeded transit and safe transit for our ships, which are carrying products including LPG, LNG and other products. Through this conversation that we have had over the last several days, we have had six Indian ships which have been able to safely cross the Strait of Hormuz, and we continue to be in touch with relevant parties,” the spokesperson explained. Live updates
The Strait of Hormuz is critical to the world economy because 20% of global energy supplies pass through the narrow waterway, which has been closed by Iran following the attacks on it by Israel and the US. The stakes are even higher for India, because roughly 40% of the oil, 50% of the liquefied natural gas (LNG), and over 80% of the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) that the country imports flow through this route.
US President Donald Trump, who had been insisting that the reopening of the strait is one of his key priorities, did a volte-face on Wednesday. In a rant on Truth Social, the social media website owned by him, he asked US allies, including the UK, to “get their own oil”, emphasising that the US would not help them anymore.
“All of those countries that can’t get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, I have a suggestion for you: Number 1, buy from the US, we have plenty, and Number 2, build up some delayed courage, go to the Strait, and just TAKE IT,” Trump wrote.
“You’ll have to start learning how to fight for yourself, the USA won’t be there to help you anymore, just like you weren’t there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!” he added, signing off with “President DJT”.
Broad Coalition
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, often at the receiving end of Trump’s barbs since the war began, said later the same day that 35 countries, including France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and the UAE, had signed a statement, agreeing to cooperate on restoring maritime security.
“The meeting will assess all viable diplomatic and political measures that we can take to restore freedom of navigation, guarantee the safety of trapped ships and seafarers and resume the movement of vital commodities,” Starmer said.
“Following that meeting, we will also convene our military planners to look at how we can marshal our capabilities and make the strait accessible and safe after the fighting has stopped,” the prime minister added.
Thursday’s meeting will be chaired by UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and, news agency Reuters reported, it will be followed by “working-level meetings” of officials to hammer out details.