West Asia crisis: Jaishankar holds 'detailed' conversation with Iran's Araghchi
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday spoke to his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi – their third such conversation since the West Asia crisis began – as New Delhi ramped up efforts to protect its energy security amid a virtual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Jaishankar also spoke to German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and exchanged views on the unfolding crisis in West Asia. “A detailed conversation this evening with Foreign Minister @araghchi of Iran on the latest developments regarding the ongoing conflict. We agreed to remain in touch," Jaishankar said on social media following his talks with the Iranian foreign minister.
It was the first phone conversation between the two foreign ministers after Iran announced the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei as the country's new Supreme Leader, days after his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in a joint US-Israel military strike. It is not immediately known whether the sinking of an Iranian warship by the US near Sri Lanka on March 4 figured in the conversation between Jaishankar and Araghchi. Jaishankar and Araghchi spoke on February 28, soon after the US and Israel launched the attack on Iran that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They also spoke on March 5. The West Asia crisis has impacted the global energy market. Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (liquefied natural gas). Following his conversation with German Foreign Minister Wadephul, Jaishankar said the ongoing conflict in West Asia was discussed.
"Exchanged views with FM @JoWadephul of Germany on the ongoing conflict in West Asia," he said on social media. Jaishankar also said he and South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun discussed the situation in West Asia, including its implications on the energy sector. "Discussed advancing our bilateral agenda. As also the situation in West Asia, including its energy implications," the external affairs minister said. In a post on X, Cho hoped that this year's high-level exchanges would elevate Korea-India relations to a new level. South Korean President Lee Jae-Myung is expected to visit India within the next two months. "Minister Jaishankar agreed and said we should work together to expand strategic economic cooperation between Korea and India, which has significant potential and strong complementarity," Cho said. "We also discussed the situation in the Middle East, which is having a major impact on global security and the economy, and agreed to maintain close communication on measures to ensure the safety of our nationals as the situation develops," he said.
