India says concerned over situation in Gulf region

India has voiced concern over the situation in the Gulf region, saying competing geostrategic interests can lead to an avoidable conflict that will have a disastrous impact on the security and development of the countries in the region and beyond. "There is also a growing concern over the situation in the Gulf region, where competing geostrategic interests can lead to an avoidable conflict, which will have disastrous impact on the security and development of the countries in the region and beyond," Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said Monday during the informal meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures (CICA) Ministers for Foreign Affairs on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly session.

He said as a responsible nation of the region, India has deployed its naval ships in the Gulf, alongside other nations, to ensure that there is no interruption in trade and movement of ships. "We are hopeful that we will be able to prevent any escalation in the situation into conflict through dialogue and diplomacy."

A crisis has erupted between Iran and Western countries - in particular, the UK and US - after a series of incidents in and around the Gulf, a strategically important waterway in the Middle East. Both sides are blaming the other and there are fears it could lead to war. The crisis began to escalate in May when four oil tankers were were hit by blasts in the Gulf of Oman. Iran denied US accusations its forces had planted mines on the vessels.

The US alleges Iran carried out the September 14 attack on the world’s largest oil processor in the kingdom and an oil field, which caused oil prices to spike by the biggest percentage since the 1991 Gulf War.

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