West Asia Crisis: Iran Blames US For Shipping Disruptions In Hormuz, Araghchi-Jaishankar Hold Talks On Possible Consequences

New Delhi: With the crisis in West Asia pushing up energy prices, Iran has blamed the US for the disruptions in the shipping of crude oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz, citing Washington's "destabilising actions" as the cause of the problem.

Hours after telephonic conversation between India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the Iran's foreign ministry said in a readout on Wednesday that the US should be held accountable for the crisis in West Asia.

The ministry said Araghchi provided Jaishankar a "detailed" account of the "crimes" committed by the US and Israel against Iran over the last 11 days, including the missile attack on a girls' school in Minab and subsequent strikes on civilian sites. He emphasised Iran's determination to comprehensively defend the integrity of Iran, the readout said.

It said the two foreign ministers also discussed the consequences of the disruptions in the movement of oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian foreign ministry blamed the US for the disruptions in the flow of energy through the passage.

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 percent of global oil and LNG (liquefied natural gas).

"Referring to Iran's principled approach to safeguarding shipping security in the Persian Gulf, Iran's foreign minister reminded that the insecure situation and problems arising for shipping in the Persian Gulf are a result of the aggressive and destabilising actions of the US, and the international community must hold the US accountable for this situation," the readout said.

On the overall situation, the Iranian readout described the "aggressive act by the US and Israel" as a "violation of the fundamental principles and rules of the United Nations Charter and international law".

It said all governments have a responsibility to condemn "this military aggression and blatant law-breaking".

"The Indian foreign minister, while emphasising the importance of continuing and enhancing bilateral relations between Tehran and New Delhi, stressed the necessity of ongoing consultations to help restore stability to the region," it said.

With New Delhi ramping up efforts to protect its energy security amid a virtual blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, EAM Jaishankar on Tuesday spoke to his Iranian counterpart in what is being said as their third such conversation since the West Asia crisis began. “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 after the talks.

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.

Jaishankar and Araghchi had spoken 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.

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.

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. (With PTI Inputs)

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