Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for an "open and safe" Strait of Hormuz during a brief visit to the United Arab Emirates, the start of a five-nation tour overshadowed by energy and supply-chain worries due to the Iran war.
Disruptions to Gulf shipping routes through the Strait of Hormuz have put oil and gas markets in a spin, raising pressure on energy importers such as India, which was forced to hike petrol and diesel prices on Friday.
"Keeping Hormuz free, open and safe is our highest priority, and in this matter, adherence to international laws is essential," Modi said, in footage released by the Indian foreign ministry.
India on Thursday said an Indian-flagged vessel was attacked off the coast of Oman and subsequently sank, calling the incident "unacceptable".
Modi, whose plane was guided in and out of UAE airspace by military jets, received a guard of honour and met President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan before leaving for the Netherlands on Friday.
"I have come to my second home," Modi, a frequent visitor to the UAE, home to 4.5 million Indians, told the president, calling the air force escort "an honour".
The two sides agreed to explore increasing the UAE giant ADNOC's oil storage in India to up to 30 million barrels and storing crude at the UAE's Fujairah port as part of India's strategic reserve, an ADNOC statement said.
India, the world's third-largest oil buyer, normally sources about half of its crude through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely blocked by Iran since the war began in late February.
The Gulf region, pummelled by Iranian drone and missile attacks during the Iran war, remains India's primary source of oil and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
Modi's visit is also aimed at shoring up India's position across Gulf nations in the wake of conflict, which has fractured alliances in the region.
As tensions mounted in the Gulf ahead of what would later become a direct US-Israeli confrontation with Iran, Modi’s visit to Israel signalled shifting regional alignments.
"A new international environment now prevails," K.C. Singh, former Indian ambassador to Iran and the UAE, told AFP.
"Cracks within the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council and open Iran-UAE confrontation have altered the geopolitics," he added.
"The United Arab Emirates is now openly aligning with the US and Israel. Saudi Arabia, the GCC's most powerful and populous member, has moved closer to Pakistan, Egypt and Türkiye while maintaining its US outreach."
On Thursday, Modi met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in New Delhi.
