• Source:JND
HighLights
  1. Iran's envoy downplays firing on Indian vessels.
  2. Stresses strong, historical India-Iran diplomatic ties.
  3. Strait of Hormuz closure due to security concerns.

Hours after India summoned the Iranian Ambassador over the reported firing on Indian vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, Dr Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, a representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, underscored the resilience of India-Iran ties, noting that New Delhi has benefited from the longstanding relationship.

Downplaying the incident, he said the Indian Prime Minister and the Iranian President have held multiple rounds of talks, and stressed that relations between the two ancient nations will continue to grow in a robust manner.

"Our relationship with India is very strong... India has benefited from the good relationship between Iran and India in getting their oil and tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz. The Prime Minister of India had very successful conversations with the President of Iran, Masoud Pezeshkian, and the EAM had several successful conversations with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran," he told the media.

"The relationship between Iran and India is rooted in 5,000 years of history. Iranians are connected to India by culture, civilisation, education, humanity, and philosophy. Our relationship is very strong and will continue to grow stronger," Ilahi added.

ALSO READ: Trump Warns Iran Against ‘Blackmail’ Over Strait Of Hormuz, Hints At Possible Deal

Earlier, commenting on the incident, he said, "The relationship between Iran and India is very strong, and I don't know anything about this event which you mentioned, and we hope that it will be okay and it will be solved."

We don't want this war: Iran

Calling for de-escalation, he added, "We don't want this war. We want peace, and we hope that the other side will also follow peace so that we can have a peaceful area."

On the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Ilahi said the disruption was linked to ongoing security concerns.

"The Strait of Hormuz was open, and due to the imposed war against Iran, it was closed, because of the security issues, and we hope that very soon it will be open...Yes, it was open for some time, but as there are some problems and crises around Iran, they wanted to be sure that the problems would be solved and it would be open very soon," he said.

Strait of Hormuz closed

His remarks came after Iran's Revolutionary Guard announced that the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed from this evening, CNN reported.

In a statement, the IRGC said several vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, but "due to the violation of the ceasefire conditions, the American enemy did not lift the naval blockade of Iranian vessels and ports", according to CNN.

ALSO READ: India Summons Iranian Envoy, Registers Strong Protest After Firing At Two Indian Vessels In Strait Of Hormuz

"Therefore, from this evening, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until this blockade is lifted," the statement read, as per CNN.

"We warn that no vessel should move from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, and approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered cooperation with the enemy, and the violating vessel will be targeted", read the statement.

(With inputs from agency)

You may also like to watch

 


Also In News