What's Behind Iran's Hormuz Pass For 2 Indian Tankers? S Jaishankar Explains

Talks have yielded "some results", and this is an "ongoing" process, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar has said after Iran allowed two Indian-flagged gas tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran has blocked amid its war with the US and Israel.

"I am at the moment engaged in talking to them, and my talking has yielded some results. This is ongoing. If it is yielding results for me, I would naturally continue to look at it," Dr Jaishankar told Financial Times. "Certainly, from India's perspective, it is better that we reason and we coordinate and we get a solution."

The External Affairs Minister clarified that there was no "blanket arrangement" with Iran for Indian-flagged ships and that "every ship movement is an individual happening".

He also denied that Iran received anything in exchange and said Delhi and Tehran have a "history of dealing with each other... which is the basis on which I engaged".

"It's not an exchange issue. India and Iran have a relationship. And this is a conflict that we regard as something very unfortunate," he said.

"These are still early days. We have many more ships there. So while this is a welcome development, there is continuing conversation because there is continued work on that," Dr Jaishankar added.

Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and discussed the transit of goods and energy.

Two Indian-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz, which is now a chokepoint owing to the conflict in the Middle East. The Strait is the Persian Gulf's only access to Arabian Sea.

The Indian-flagged tankers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, are carrying around 92,700 metric tonnes of LPG and are expected to arrive at Mundra and Kandla ports in a couple of days.

The Strait, which is the transit route for about 20 per cent of global crude oil and natural gas, has been blocked by Iran in retaliation for the US and Israel attacks. This has led to energy security concerns in Asian markets such as India and China.

India is the world's fourth-largest buyer of liquefied natural gas and second-largest buyer of LPG, used for cooking. This gas is predominantly sourced from the Middle East.

Amid supply concerns, the government earlier ordered that households and transport sectors must be prioritised. Several industries, including those manufacturing ceramic tiles, are facing a gas shortage that could cripple production.