External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar says diplomacy, not warships, may be the most effective way to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after direct talks with Iran allowed two Indian gas tankers to pass safely through the crucial waterway. Iran has largely closed the waterway amid the widening Middle East conflict, choking off tanker traffic and sending global energy prices sharply higher. For India, which imports around 85 per cent of its oil and gas, reopening the strait is critical for the economy. This means oil tankers can load and store crude there without having to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Separately, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said over the weekend that “on crude oil, on fuel, we are pretty well placed.

Source: The Telegraph March 16, 2026 02:01 UTC