New Delhi, April 16 -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a telephone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron to discuss the ongoing crisis in West Asia, with both leaders calling for the immediate restoration of safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.
The call was initiated by Macron and comes as the conflict in the region approaches 50 days. In a post on X following the exchange, Modi said, "Received a phone call from my dear friend President Emmanuel Macron. We discussed the situation in West Asia and agreed on the need to urgently restore safety and freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. We will continue our close cooperation to advance peace and stability in the region and beyond."
The leaders had previously spoken on March 5, when they shared concerns over the deteriorating situation and called for a return to dialogue and diplomacy.
India has maintained that de-escalation remains key to resolving the crisis. At an inter-ministerial briefing on Wednesday, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said diplomatic engagement by India is ongoing. He also referred to a recent conversation between Modi and US President Donald Trump, during which the West Asia situation was discussed.
The conflict began on February 28 after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, followed by retaliatory attacks by Tehran targeting Gulf nations hosting American military bases. Amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said attacks on merchant vessels were "completely unacceptable" as India pushed for unimpeded maritime transit.
The strategic waterway, which carries about 20 per cent of global oil and LNG trade, has seen restrictions imposed by Iran, triggering a surge in global energy prices.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.