India calls for free and safe navigation through Strait of Hormuz

    New Delhi, Nov 10 (PTI) India on Tuesday once again called for free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and said it is in touch with all concerned parties to avoid attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers, including vessels under the Indian flag.

    The remarks by External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal came amid recent incidents of attacks on commercial vessels in the region.

    "We continue to call for free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz," he said.

    "We are in touch with all concerned parties to avoid attacks on civilian shipping and seafarers, including vessels under Indian flag and Indian seafarers," he added.

    An Indian sailor was killed in an attack on a commercial vessel near Limah in Oman on November 2 that triggered a strong condemnation of the strike by India.

    The West Asia conflict began in February following attacks on Iran by the US and Israel. New Delhi has been consistently calling for finding a solution to the conflict through dialogue and diplomacy.

    There has been a sudden escalation in tensions in West Asia, especially after the Houthis carried out several strikes on Saudi Arabia.

    India has been voicing serious concern over the Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia's civilian infrastructure and economic assets, cautioning that such strikes undermine regional stability and threaten freedom of navigation through the Bab-el-Mandeb strait.

    The Iran-backed Houthi militant group had attacked Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline which is considered very crucial for supply of crude oil.

    Ever since the conflict involving Iran disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the East-West pipeline has served as a critical bypass for Saudi Arabia's oil exports.

    The Houthi attacks have also triggered concerns over the safety of the Bab-el-Mandeb shipping lane.

    The Bab-el-Mandeb is one of the world's most critical maritime chokepoints, located between the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Arabian Sea.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)