MUMBAI, April 3 -- Disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have had a severe economic impact and are causing energy instability in the region, said admiral D K Tripathi, chief of naval staff, in Mumbai on Thursday. The strait, an international waterway between Iran and Oman, controls a large volume of global oil flow and is in focus due to the war in West Asia, which is well into its fifth week. Tripathi and Union minister of state for defence, Sanjay Seth, were in Mumbai to flag off the second edition of the Indian Ocean Ship Sagar initiative, where the INS Sunayna, an offshore patrol vessel, set sail from Mumbai to promote maritime cooperation. "Competition at sea is no longer confined to oil and energy. It is now expanding towards resources that will shape future growth - such as rare earth elements, critical minerals, new fishing grounds and even data," said the admiral. "As a result, there is a significant increase in marine survey, deep-sea research activity, and illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU), often encroaching upon the sovereign rights of littoral nations and exploiting gaps in monitoring and enforcement,'' Tripathi said. Alongside these, threats such as piracy, armed robbery and narco-trafficking backed by unimpeded access of advanced technology to non-state actors, have also become more complex and challenging to counter, said the senior naval officer. The last year alone, he said, the Indian Ocean region witnessed a staggering 3,700 maritime incidents of varying nature. Additionally, narcotics seizures in the region exceeded USD1 billion in 2025, highlighting the persistence and spread of such challenges in the region. The admiral said the Ocean Ship Sagar initiative comes at a crucial juncture, when the global order is in a state of constant flux and friction. "In such a complex maritime environment, the coming together of 16 like-minded maritime nations for a shared purpose and collective commitment through IOS Sagar is rare and significant," he observed....