India has formally entered the multilateral diplomatic arena over the Strait of Hormuz crisis, with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri participating in a UK-convened virtual summit of over 60 nations on Thursday to explore political and diplomatic pathways to restoring commercial shipping access through the critical waterway. The meeting, hosted by British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, marks the first structured multilateral engagement aimed specifically at resolving the Hormuz blockade — and India’s participation signals a significant shift from purely bilateral engagement with Iran toward active multilateral diplomacy.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed Misri’s attendance at the weekly media briefing, noting that India remained in contact with Iran and other regional actors to secure unimpeded transit for Indian vessels. Jaiswal also confirmed that six Indian-flagged ships have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz since the crisis began — a figure that, while modest against the total of 19-plus vessels still waiting, reflects the concrete results of India’s sustained diplomatic back-channel with Tehran.
Misri’s Key Messages at the Summit
In his remarks to the assembled nations, Misri emphasised the importance of the principles of freedom of navigation and unimpeded transit through international waterways — a firm statement of India’s legal position that aligns with the global maritime order while stopping short of directly endorsing military action. He highlighted the impact of the Hormuz closure on India’s energy security specifically, noting that India remains the only country to have lost mariners in attacks on merchant vessels in the Gulf during the conflict — a pointed reminder of the human cost India is bearing and its legitimate claim to a voice in the resolution process.
The summit notably excluded the United States — a significant absence that reflects Washington’s pivot away from active engagement on the Hormuz reopening question following Trump’s Truth Social posts urging allies to secure their own energy supplies or ‘just TAKE IT.’ The UK-led format, which brings together European nations, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Bahrain, the UAE, and now India, is positioning itself as a diplomacy-first alternative to the US military approach that has thus far failed to reopen the strait.
India’s Balancing Act: Iran, the UK, and Energy Security
India’s decision to join the UK-led talks while simultaneously maintaining its diplomatic channel with Iran illustrates the delicate balancing act New Delhi has been performing throughout the five-week crisis. Iran has explicitly reassured that Indian ships are safe — the Iranian Embassy in India posting on social media that ‘Our Indian friends are in safe hands, no worries’ — while simultaneously charging at least two other vessels USD 2 million each for transit under the IRGC’s informal ‘toll booth’ system. India’s MEA confirmed it had not yet discussed the toll payment question with Iran, leaving open the question of whether India’s privileged access to the strait reflects genuine diplomatic goodwill or a similar arrangement conducted outside public channels.
India is also now examining a request from the Maldives for petroleum product supplies on both short-term and long-term basis — the Maldives sources most of its fuel from Oman and has been severely impacted by Hormuz disruptions. India is already supplying fuel to Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and potentially Mauritius and Seychelles. The energy supply diplomacy to its Indian Ocean neighbours is simultaneously a humanitarian obligation and a significant geopolitical opportunity for India to deepen its presence as the region’s preferred energy security provider.
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