Fears over Iran quitting NPT, reducing cooperation with IAEA
New Delhi: Iran is yet to impose a threatened blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, bringing relief to India for the time being.
Parliamentarians in Iran had voted to choke off the strait as retaliation against the US strikes on three nuclear sites. But the Iran National Supreme Council is yet to take a call on the matter.
While India is not solely dependent on the strait for its oil supplies and has adequate reserves, besides increased flow of crude from Russia, the channel remains significant in a region that's home to millions of Indians apart from oil and gas fields, according to Iran watchers. Iranian officials told their Indian counterparts that the channel remains open and that two Indians had been evacuated to Sharjah via the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly 20% of global oil and gas flows, according to data from the US Energy Information Administration. Last year, 84% of crude oil travelled through the Strait of Hormuz to Asia, primarily China, India, Japan and South Korea.
The channel has never been fully blocked but traffic has been disrupted following attacks on tankers during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s, tensions between the US and Iran navies in 2007, and the 2023 seizure of an American crude tanker by Iran.
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China, one of Iran's close allies, is not in favour of blockading the Strait of Hormuz, which serves as its lifeline.
Meanwhile, worries are escalating about Iran quitting the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), reducing cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and building a nuclear bomb.
US President Donald Trump appeared to be toying with the prospect of new leadership in Iran. "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change? MIGA!" he posted on Truth Social.
However, Iran watchers said regime change may be easier said than done given the nature of its society. Iranians are apprehensive, given the fallout of regime changes in Iraq, Syria and Libya.
India will operate three additional
evacuation flights from Iran
over the next 2-3 days, according to minister of state for external affairs Pabitra Margherita. Indian evacuations from Israel are also underway. Azerbaijan has also assisted in evacuating a few Indians who crossed over from Iran.
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