India termed the targeting of commercial shipping during the West Asia conflict as deplorable, strongly urging that unimpeded freedom of navigation and global commerce through the Strait of Hormuz be restored at the earliest.
“An aspect of particular concern for India for its energy and economic security relates to commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Harish Parvathaneni said in the UN General Assembly on Thursday.
“India has deplored the fact that commercial shipping was made a target of military attacks in this conflict,” Parvathaneni said.
India reiterated that the targeting of commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding the freedom of navigation and commerce in the Strait of Hormuz, are unacceptable.
Underscoring that international law in this regard must be fully respected, Parvathaneni said India strongly urges that safe and unimpeded freedom of navigation and global commerce through the Strait of Hormuz be restored at the earliest.
He also voiced concern over the loss of the precious lives of Indian seafarers aboard ships during the course of the conflict.
Parvathaneni was delivering remarks at the United Nations General Assembly debate under the Veto Initiative on “The Situation in the Middle East”, a meeting that was held after Russia and China vetoed a Bahrain-led resolution in the UN Security Council earlier this month on reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The veto by two permanent members of the 15-nation Security Council triggered the UNGA debate on the issue.
The Indian envoy said that since the outbreak of the conflict in Iran and the Gulf region on February 28 this year, India had expressed deep concern and urged all states to exercise restraint, avoid escalation and prioritise the safety of civilians.
“We have urged all states to promote dialogue and diplomacy and de-escalation of tensions, and to purposefully address underlying issues. We have also called for respect of sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states,” he said.
Amid the West Asia conflict, the Ministry of External Affairs said last month that eight Indian nationals have lost their lives while one remained missing in “various incidents” in the region.
As the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial oil artery located between Oman and Iran connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, virtually closed due to the conflict, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres had said that when this crucial chokepoint is “strangled, the world’s poorest and most vulnerable cannot breathe.
UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) has warned that the Strait of Hormuz, a central artery for global energy trade, has seen activity fall to a near halt. Ship transits dropped from around 130 per day in February to just six in March – a collapse of about 95%.
“The disruption is hitting a large share of global oil and gas supplies, with immediate consequences for production, trade and consumption worldwide. It is also spilling over into transport systems, including maritime routes, air cargo and port logistics,” UNCTAD has said.
The UN agency has warned that if the military escalation and disruptions persist, the suffering will extend far beyond the region, translating into widespread economic hardship.