Hormuz reopening to ease supply chains, strengthen energy security: Doval

New Delhi: India welcomes the understanding reached between the US and Iran and the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, national security adviser Ajit Doval said on Tuesday, adding that the situation is being seen with cautious optimism.

Speaking at the 16th BRICS NSAs' meeting in the capital, Doval said that freedom of navigation will improve economy of the region and help with energy security. "India welcomes the MoU reached between the US and Iran. We have got cautious optimism, and we hope that it will work. It will help energy security. The opening of the Strait of Hormuz is a very welcome development," he said.

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Doval said the reopening "will remove supply chain bottlenecks and many of the shortages in the field of say, fertilisers and chemicals, etc, will be met". He was speaking at the meeting after holding bilateral talks with several nations, including China and Iran.

Doval said the world is facing a tumultuous time and is beleaguered by military conflicts and security problems. He said geopolitical uncertainties, economic strains and disruptive technology are at play, with threats compounding and institutional mechanisms proving to be inadequate to mitigate conflicts.

"We need to be cognizant of the new security threats and challenges. Non-traditional threats have transcended national borders and developed defeat systems against conventional responses," he said. The NSA said innovative disruptive technologies, more camouflaged variants of terrorism and cyberthreats pose dangers in an increasingly digitised world.