India on Monday said it has not held any bilateral discussions with the United States on deploying naval vessels to safeguard merchant shipping through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
The clarification from the Ministry of External Affairs came after US President Donald Trump called on several countries to send warships to ensure the key waterway remains open amid rising tensions involving Iran.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he hoped countries such as China, France, Japan, South Korea and the United Kingdom—all heavily reliant on energy supplies passing through the Strait—would deploy warships to keep the route “safe and open”. He alleged that Iran was attempting to create an “artificial constraint” by threatening to close the passage.
However, none of the countries named by Trump have made immediate commitments to send naval assets. Responding to questions at a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said India had not discussed the issue with Washington in a bilateral framework.
“We are aware of this particular matter being discussed by several countries. We have not yet discussed it in a bilateral setting,” Jaiswal said, adding that India would continue to engage with various stakeholders on developments related to maritime security in the region.
Meanwhile, European governments sought more clarity from Washington about the broader military objectives in the ongoing conflict involving Iran. As foreign ministers of the European Union met to deliberate on the situation, Germany’s foreign minister Johann Wadephul said the United States and Israel should clearly define when they consider the goals of their military deployment to have been achieved.
European countries are currently weighing whether to support Trump’s call to send warships to bolster security in the Persian Gulf amid fears that any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could impact global oil supplies and maritime trade.
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