Jaishankar Holds Detailed Talks with Iran's Araghchi on Shipping Security and Strait of Hormuz
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar spoke with Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on March 10, 2026, in a "detailed conversation" covering regional developments, the ongoing Iran-Israel-U.S. conflict, and shipping security through the Strait of Hormuz.
Jaishankar raised India's concerns about the disruption to maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries approximately 40–45% of India's crude oil imports from the Gulf region.
Araghchi, in his public statement, called on the global community to condemn U.S.-Israel military aggression, describing it as a "blatant violation of the UN Charter and international law." He attributed maritime instability to what he characterised as aggressive U.S. actions.
This was the second call between the two foreign ministers in the context of the 2026 Iran conflict. India has maintained active diplomatic engagement with Tehran while simultaneously maintaining its relationships with the U.S. and Israel.
India-Iran Bilateral Relations: Strategic Dimensions
India and Iran share one of the most complex bilateral relationships in South Asian diplomacy, combining civilisational ties, energy dependency, connectivity ambitions, and the constraint of U.S. sanctions.
Jaishankar's call reflects India's multi-layered stakes in the Iran conflict: energy supply disruption, Chabahar port investment under threat, 85,000 Indian nationals at risk, and the INSTC connectivity agenda — all compressed into a single diplomatic engagement.
India's Foreign Policy Doctrine: Strategic Autonomy
Strategic Autonomy is India's long-standing foreign policy principle of maintaining independent decision-making and avoiding binding military alliances, enabling simultaneous engagement with competing powers. It is rooted in Nehru's Non-Alignment doctrine but has evolved significantly in the post-Cold War era.
Jaishankar's call to Araghchi without publicly condemning Iran's actions (while separately engaging the U.S. and Israel) is a textbook application of strategic autonomy — protecting India's economic interests and national security without taking sides in a geopolitical conflict.
India's Consular Obligations and the Indian Diaspora
India's Ministry of External Affairs has specific legal obligations under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963) and domestic frameworks to protect Indian nationals abroad. The Gulf region hosts the largest single concentration of the Indian diaspora.
Key Details
- Indian diaspora in West Asia: Approximately 9 million Indian nationals live in the six GCC countries (Saudi Arabia ~3 million, UAE ~3.5 million, Kuwait ~1 million, Qatar ~750,000, Bahrain ~300,000, Oman ~650,000). Iran hosts approximately 85,000 Indian nationals.
- Remittances: The Gulf diaspora contributes approximately $50–55 billion annually to India's remittance inflows, making it the single largest regional source. India is the world's largest remittance-receiving country ($125 billion in 2023).
- Evacuation operations: India has a track record of large-scale evacuation operations — Operation Sukoon (Lebanon, 2006), Operation Rahat (Yemen, 2015), Operation Devi Shakti (Afghanistan, 2021), Vande Bharat Mission (COVID, 2020). The 2026 Iran conflict would trigger similar mechanisms if conditions deteriorate.
- Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963): Obliges host states to notify consular posts when a national is arrested and to facilitate consular access; obliges the sending state to protect its nationals' rights.
India's proactive diplomatic engagement via Jaishankar's calls with Araghchi is not merely geopolitical posturing — it is also a consular imperative to protect 85,000 Indian nationals in Iran and to ensure the Gulf diaspora (9 million people, $50–55 billion in remittances) is not caught in escalating conflict.
- Jaishankar-Araghchi call on March 10, 2026 — discussed Strait of Hormuz shipping security and regional developments.
- India imports approximately 40–45% of its crude oil from Gulf states routing through the Strait of Hormuz.
- Chabahar 10-year agreement signed May 2024; India operates Shahid Beheshti terminal.
- Chabahar is India's gateway to INSTC — a 7,200 km multimodal corridor to Russia via Iran.
- Approximately 85,000 Indian nationals resident in Iran.
- Gulf diaspora: ~9 million Indian nationals; ~$50–55 billion annual remittance inflows.
- India is the world's largest remittance-receiving country ($125 billion in 2023).
- India abstained on UN resolutions condemning Russia over Ukraine — consistent multi-alignment posture.
- Vienna Convention on Consular Relations: 1963; governs consular obligations to nationals abroad.