New Delhi, March 11 With the conflict in West Asia disrupting energy prices, Iran has blamed the US for the disruptions in the shipping of crude oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz, attributing the problem to Washington's "destabilizing actions."
Iran's foreign ministry stated this in a statement on Wednesday, providing details of the phone conversation between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the previous night.
The statement said that Araghchi provided Jaishankar with a "detailed" account of the "crimes" committed by the US and Israel against Iran over the past 11 days, including the missile attack on a girls' school in Minab and subsequent strikes on civilian sites.
It emphasized Iran's determination to comprehensively defend the integrity of Iran.
The statement also said that the two foreign ministers discussed the consequences of the disruptions in the movement of oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian foreign ministry blamed the US for the disruptions in the flow of energy through the passage.
Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, which handles approximately 20 per cent of global oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG).
"Referring to Iran's principled approach to safeguarding shipping security in the Persian Gulf, Iran's foreign minister reminded that the insecure situation and problems arising for shipping in the Persian Gulf are a result of the aggressive and destabilizing actions of the US, and the international community must hold the US accountable for this situation," the statement said.
On the overall situation, the Iranian statement described the "aggressive act by the US and Israel" as a "violation of the fundamental principles and rules of the United Nations Charter and international law."
It said that all governments have a responsibility to condemn "this military aggression and blatant law-breaking."
"The Indian foreign minister, while emphasising the importance of continuing and enhancing bilateral relations between Tehran and New Delhi, stressed the necessity of ongoing consultations to help restore stability to the region," it said.
Jaishankar, on Tuesday night, said he had a "detailed" conversation with Araghchi.
"Had a detailed conversation this evening with Foreign Minister @araghchi of Iran on the latest developments regarding the ongoing conflict. We agreed to remain in touch," he said on social media.
It was the third phone conversation between the two foreign ministers since the US and Israel launched the military offensive against Iran on February 28.
Jaishankar and Araghchi spoke on February 28, soon after the US and Israel launched the attack on Iran that killed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. They again spoke on March 5.