By Ian Werther in News — 13 Mar 2026

India-Iran discuss Hormuz tensions as BRICS push Middle East stability and energy shipments

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has spoken with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi to discuss the Middle East’s rising tensions and the broader impact on energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Modi said on social media that he exchanged views with Raisi on the region’s serious situation, stressing concerns about increased violence, civilian casualties, and damage to civilian facilities. He added that ensuring the safety of Indian citizens and the smooth movement of goods and fuel are top priorities for New Delhi.

Raisi, in the call, underscored that the BRICS bloc—led by China and Russia—should play an active role in promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. The вамbleline exchange reflects recurring calls for regional diplomacy as the war’s spillover effects threaten energy security worldwide.

220822-A-KS490-1182 STRAIT OF HORMUZ (Aug. 22, 2022) From the left, U.S. Coast Guard fast response cutters USCGC Glen Harris (WPC 1144), USCGC John Scheuerman (WPC 1146), USCGC Emlen Tunnell (WPC 1145) and USCGC Clarence Sutphin Jr. (WPC 1147) transit the Strait of Hormuz, Aug. 22. The cutters are forward-deployed to U.S. 5th Fleet to help ensure maritime security and stability across the Middle East. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

Bloomberg cited the discussions as India preparing to move roughly 20 oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, with ten tankers already contracted to carry LPG for state-owned refiners Indian Oil Corp (IOC) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL). Another five ships are expected to carry crude oil, with the rest carrying unspecified cargoes. An Indian government official said negotiations were ongoing and that the Foreign Ministry was handling them.

Indian and Iranian sources conflict on the status of any agreement. Indian officials told Reuters that Tehran was expected to allow the tankers to pass, while Iranian sources said no deal had been reached yet. The status of Hormuz transit remains a live diplomatic issue as talks continue.

On December 16, 2018, NASA’s Aqua satellite passed over the Middle East, allowing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board to acquire a beautiful true-color image of Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
One notable feature readily identifiable in the west (left) of the image is the upfolding topography of the Zagros Mountains. Beginning north of the Persian Gulf near the narrow Strait of Hormuz, the long mountain range extends about 990 miles (1,600 km), forming the extreme western boundary of the Iranian plateau. The area is actively undergoing crustal shortening as global tectonics move Arabia towards Asia. As a result, the layers of sedimentary rock are slowly folding upward in ridges, somewhat like a carpet folds upward if pushed. In this case, the compressive forces create massive folds – the local relief between the higher mountain ridges and the valleys can be as much as 1200 meters (4,000 feet).

To the east, in southern Afghanistan, an apparently smooth area of orange-tinted tans marks the large Registan Desert. The desert terrain is, indeed, relatively flat, but fails to meet the criteria of “smooth”, at least at ground level. The winds, which blow consistently form the same direction, causes sand to pile up in crescent-moon shaped dunes, whose thin tips point in the direction of the wind flow. Called barchan dunes, these dunes will migrate across the desert surface as sand grains on the crest of the dune are toppled by the wind and spill down the leeward face. As the pile of sand on the leeward side of the dune gets larger, gravity eventually topples the pile, moving the dune’s leading edge slowly forward. The movement is slow but steady – some barchan dunes can migrate between 8 and 15 feet each year. — Representative image for context; not directly related to the specific event in this article. License: Public domain. Source: Wikimedia Commons.

For context, Hormuz is a pivotal waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, handling about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil shipments. India relies heavily on Middle East energy, with roughly 40% of its crude imports historically drawn from Hormuz-area producers, underscoring why disruptions there have broad implications beyond regional security.

The developments matter to U.S. readers because any setback to Hormuz traffic can influence global oil prices, supply chains, and energy markets. As a rapidly growing consumer economy and ally of Western energy policy efforts, India’s ability to secure alternative routes and diversify suppliers also has implications for U.S. energy security, inflation, and strategic balancing in Asia. Diplomatic signals from BRICS members regarding peace and stability in the Middle East may shape broader geopolitical alignment and market expectations in the months ahead.

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