Iran keeping close contact with India on ship transit: Envoy

New Delhi: Iran's ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali on Monday said there is "good contact" with the government here on the passage of Indian ships through the Strait of Hormuz. He also said that the Iranian government may announce a mechanism for navigating the strait, a critical shipping route for global oil and gas supplies.

The comments came even as US President Donald Trump announced a blockade of the strait as well as all Iran's ports from Monday 7:30 pm India time following the failure of the peace talks with Iran in Islamabad.

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"You can ask the Indian government if we have charged anything up to now," Fathali told select journalists. "In this difficult time, we have good relations. We believe Iran and India share common interests and a common fate."

He referred to a remark by Iran's foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who said that Tehran had allowed China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan to transit the Strait of Hormuz

"We, as Iran and India, have a common interest. And now, in these difficult times, we have good relations," he said.

The Iranian envoy also indicated that Iran is working on a framework to regulate passage through the strait. "I think that it depends on the situation... Iran believes and is committed to international law and freedom of navigation. We announced that in the near future, we will provide the mechanism and announce it to all the countries," he said.

The senior diplomat hailed India, pointing to the strong support from both the government and the public. "I want to thank all the Indian people. I believe that they have demonstrated that they are truly reliable and compassionate partners in times of hardship. I would like to thank the government of India for facilitating all the necessary arrangements in this difficult time," he said.

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Fathali attributed the current situation to the war started by the US and Israel on February 28. "Before the war, the Strait of Hormuz was open. They attacked us for 12 days, and after that, they accepted a ceasefire. And they announced that we were on the negotiation table. And after that, they attack us," he said, accusing the US and Israel of undermining the diplomatic process.

"We have formally announced that if they (US) accept our terms, it is predictable that we will have another negotiation," Fathali said.