Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stated that allowing Iranian ships to dock in Indian ports was "the right decision," responding to questions about the initiative taken amid heightened tensions in the Middle East.
Speaking before the Indian Parliament, Jaishankar indicated that Iran had requested permission on March 1 for three of its ships to dock in India, a request to which New Delhi gave its approval.
According to the minister, one of these ships docked on March 4th in the port of Kochi, in the south of the country. The ship's crew is currently being held at Indian naval facilities.
This decision comes at a particularly tense regional time, notably following the torpedoing of an Iranian warship by a US submarine in the Indian Ocean. The Iranian ship's port call in India had raised questions about New Delhi's diplomatic stance.
The Indian foreign minister, however, defended the initiative, stating that the government had acted appropriately in responding to the Iranian request.
India has been seeking for several years to maintain a delicate diplomatic balance between its relations with Iran, an important energy partner, and its strategic ties with the United States and its Western allies.
