Jaishankar Engages Iran, Qatar, UAE on Strait of Hormuz Tensions

India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar engaged in a series of high-level diplomatic conversations on Sunday and Monday with counterparts from Iran, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, as tensions in West Asia reached a critical point amid an ultimatum from U.S. President Donald Trump to Iran over the Strait of Hormuz.

The discussions occurred against the backdrop of an escalating conflict entering its fifth week, marked by military actions between the United States, Israel, and Iran. Trump issued a 48-hour deadline over the weekend, demanding that Iran reopen the strait, a vital global oil transit route through which nearly one-fifth of the world's oil flows, by Tuesday evening. He warned that failure to comply would lead to strikes on Iranian power plants, bridges, and other infrastructure. Iranian officials rejected the ultimatum as unbalanced and coercive, stating they would not yield to pressure or deadlines. Tehran has restricted passage through the strait to ships not affiliated with the U.S., Israel, or their allies, contributing to sharp rises in global energy and commodity prices.

In his call with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi, Jaishankar...