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India must ask U.S. why it is targeting Iranian ships in Indian Ocean: Iran Minister Khatibzadeh

March 06, 2026 6 min read International Relations GS2 (India's Foreign Policy International Relations)
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What Happened

  • Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh, visiting New Delhi for the Raisina Dialogue 2026, publicly called on India to question the United States about why it is targeting Iranian ships in the Indian Ocean.
  • Khatibzadeh met External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue on March 6, 2026, emphasising the "civilisational roots" shared between Iran and India and the importance of bilateral ties.
  • The Iranian frigate IRIS Dena was torpedoed and sunk by the US Navy on March 4, 2026, near the southern coast of Sri Lanka in international waters — the first torpedo kill by a US submarine since World War II.
  • Khatibzadeh asserted that Iran has not closed the Strait of Hormuz and has "no immediate plan" to do so, countering claims that Iran has shuttered the critical oil chokepoint.
  • Iran framed the US-Israel military campaign as an attack "based on a lie" and argued that diplomacy is "the only option" for resolution; Tehran declared it will resist to the "last bullet."
  • US Central Command stated it has "struck or sunk" more than 20 Iranian ships since operations began on February 28, 2026.

Static Topic Bridges

India's Strategic Autonomy and Multi-Alignment Policy

India's foreign policy since independence has been defined by strategic autonomy — the principle of maintaining independent positions rather than aligning with any bloc. Initially codified as Non-Alignment under Nehru and institutionalised through the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) founded in 1961, the doctrine has evolved into what contemporary analysts call "multi-alignment" — maintaining distinct, carefully calibrated relationships with competing powers simultaneously.

  • India imports over 85% of its crude oil and is acutely sensitive to supply disruptions from the Persian Gulf region.
  • India maintains substantive bilateral ties with Iran (Chabahar port, INSTC), the US (defence and technology partnerships), Israel (defence imports), and Gulf Arab states (energy and remittances).
  • Strategic autonomy allows India to purchase discounted Russian oil while deepening defence ties with Washington — a position that comes under stress when major US allies are in active conflict.

Connection to this news: Iran's public appeal to India to question US actions in the Indian Ocean places New Delhi in an uncomfortable position — pressured to take a side between a longstanding civilisational partner and its most important strategic partner.

The Strait of Hormuz: A Critical Global Chokepoint

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and Oman connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. It is the world's most important oil transit chokepoint. In 2024, approximately 20 million barrels per day (b/d) of oil flowed through the strait — roughly 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption and more than one-quarter of total global seaborne oil trade.

  • The strait is only about 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest point, with two two-mile-wide shipping lanes.
  • Around one-fifth of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) trade — primarily from Qatar — also transited the strait in 2024.
  • China and India together receive over half of all volumes passing through the strait, making any closure catastrophically damaging to Asian economies.
  • Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait during periods of heightened tension with the West; it possesses the naval and missile capability to significantly disrupt passage.
  • Pipeline alternatives exist (such as the Abu Dhabi Crude Oil Pipeline) but have far less combined capacity than strait flows.

Connection to this news: Iran's explicit denial of closing the Strait of Hormuz — made publicly in New Delhi — signals a calibrated message: Tehran is reserving this option as leverage while seeking to separate India's position from that of the US.

India-Iran Bilateral Relations: Chabahar and INSTC

India and Iran share a strategic partnership built around energy, connectivity, and civilisational ties. The centrepiece of this relationship is the Chabahar Port on Iran's southeastern coast — India's gateway to Afghanistan and Central Asia bypassing Pakistan. India signed a decade-long operational agreement with Iran in May 2024, entrusting India Ports Global Ltd. (IPGL) with management of the port.

  • India has committed $85 million for berth improvements at Chabahar and extended a $150 million credit line through Exim Bank.
  • Chabahar links India to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which once complete is projected to reduce transit time by 40% and freight costs by 30% compared to the Suez Canal route.
  • Iran is a critical energy supplier historically — US sanctions after 2018 forced India to virtually halt Iranian oil imports, underscoring the vulnerability of this relationship to geopolitical pressure.
  • The Raisina Dialogue meeting between Jaishankar and Khatibzadeh also signals Iran's desire to insulate bilateral economic ties from the ongoing war.

Connection to this news: The Khatibzadeh visit makes explicit what India's strategic planners have long known: Chabahar, INSTC, and energy diversification interests require India to engage Iran diplomatically even as Washington escalates military pressure on Tehran.

International Law of the Sea: Warships in International Waters

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS, 1982) — ratified by 168 states — governs the rights and obligations of states on the world's oceans. The sinking of IRIS Dena in international waters raises fundamental questions about the legal basis of such actions.

  • Under UNCLOS, the "high seas" begin beyond 200 nautical miles from any coast (the Exclusive Economic Zone); in international waters, warships enjoy sovereign immunity.
  • Article 17 of UNCLOS provides a right of innocent passage through territorial seas; however, warships in international waters are not subject to coastal state jurisdiction.
  • The sinking of IRIS Dena near Sri Lanka's waters in international waters, absent a formal war declaration by the US Congress, triggered debate about presidential war powers and compliance with international law.
  • The US justified the strike under its claimed authority to degrade Iranian military capabilities; critics argued it violates sovereign immunity principles for naval vessels.

Connection to this news: Iran's framing of the Indian Ocean as a site of unlawful US action, and its appeal to India to voice objection, is rooted in precisely this framework — that Iranian warships in international waters carry sovereign immunity protections.

Key Facts & Data

  • IRIS Dena was torpedoed by the US nuclear-powered submarine USS Charlotte on March 4, 2026, approximately 40 nautical miles off Galle, Sri Lanka — the first torpedo kill by a US submarine since World War II in the Pacific.
  • US CENTCOM confirmed striking or sinking more than 20 Iranian ships since February 28, 2026.
  • The Strait of Hormuz carries approximately 20 million barrels per day of oil — about 20% of global petroleum consumption.
  • India's Chabahar Port agreement (May 2024) runs for 10 years; India has committed over $235 million in investment.
  • The Raisina Dialogue 2026 (11th edition) is organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) in collaboration with India's Ministry of External Affairs; theme: "Saṁskāra — Assertion, Accommodation, Advancement."
  • Iran shares a 900-km maritime boundary with the Arabian Sea/Indian Ocean, giving it the capability to project naval power well into India's strategic neighbourhood.