Amid heightened tensions in West Asia, Iran’s ambassador to India said Tehran would ensure safe passage for Indian interests in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, even as the conflict in the region entered its 14th day on Friday.. The Callisto tanker sits anchored in Port Sultan Qaboos as the traffic is down in the Strait of Hormuz, amid the US-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 12, 2026. (REUTERS). Speaking to reporters in Delhi, Mohammad Fathali said India remains a trusted partner for Iran and that the country’s vessels would not face difficulties in the vital shipping lane. Track US-Israel and Iran war live updates. “… Yes, because India is our friend. You will see it within two or three hours. We believe that Iran and India share common interests in the region,” news agency ANI quoted him as saying at 6:35 pm IST.. The remarks come as concerns grow over shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a large portion of the world’s oil shipments pass.. Strait still open, says Iran’s representative. Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme leader in India has meanwhile claimed that the waterway has not been formally closed, though the ongoing conflict has created operational difficulties for commercial vessels.. Also Read | Iran ‘about to surrender’: Trump told G7 ahead of Mojtaba Khamenei’s 1st remarks, says report. “Iran has not closed the Strait. It remains open; however, due to current conditions and circumstances, ships are unable to pass through the Hormuz. Otherwise, Iran never wanted the Strait to be closed or blocked. Some (ships) are still passing through,” he told reporters in Delhi.. He also urged global leaders to intervene and push for an end to the conflict.. “Those who initiated this war are the very ones who must stop it… Many people across the world are suffering due to this war. World leaders must unite and exert pressure on the President of the United States, urging him to put an immediate stop to this unjust war,” ANI quoted Ilahi as saying.. He further insisted that Iran had not started the conflict and said Tehran had been pursuing diplomatic engagement with Washington before the escalation.. “Iran did not initiate this war. Iran was engaged in negotiations with the United States and was also pursuing diplomatic efforts… Suddenly, the United States, along with the Zionist regime, attacked Iran, and they targeted a lot of civilians in Iran. We will win in this war, and we are prepared to sacrifice everything we possess for the sake of our dignity and our land,” Ilahi told reporters in Delhi.. US says ‘dealing with’ escalations in Hormuz. The United States has dismissed concerns about the blockade threat in the waterway. Speaking at a Pentagon briefing, US war secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington was prepared to maintain freedom of navigation in the Strait.. “As the world is seeing, they are exercising sheer desperation in the Strait of Hormuz – something w