NSA Ajit Doval Confers with Iran Security Chief Amid Gulf Maritime Escalation

National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held a telephonic conversation on Monday with Mohsen Rezaei, Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, against the backdrop of heightened hostilities across West Asia.

The high-level diplomatic exchange arrives as New Delhi monitors mounting security threats to commercial merchant shipping passing through the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. Protecting maritime corridors and ensuring the safety of Indian mariners remain top strategic priorities for the Union government.

According to official disclosures made public by the Iranian diplomatic mission in New Delhi, the two security principals reviewed contemporary regional and international developments. Both officials conferred extensively on matters falling under the purview of mutual bilateral interest.

The telephonic dialogue follows a string of security incidents affecting Indian nationals and commercial tonnage in the region. On October 11, the Nicaragua-flagged tanker MT Petro Dolphin carrying eleven Indian crew members encountered a drone strike at Sohar Anchorage. While nine members of the crew were successfully brought to safety, local coast guard units continue active search operations to trace two Indian seafarers reported missing.

Concurrently, another commercial vessel, the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker MT Valthera carrying an eleven-member Indian crew, suffered damage from an unidentified projectile that triggered an onboard fire. Authorities confirmed that all eleven Indian nationals aboard the tanker remain safe.

Earlier over the weekend, New Delhi formally condemned a deadly assault on the international airport in Riyadh that claimed the life of an Indian citizen and left over a dozen others injured. The Ministry of External Affairs reiterated that targeting civilian infrastructure is entirely unacceptable.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously emphasized India's consistent stance during talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on the margins of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. The Indian leadership has consistently advocated for resolving ongoing conflicts through dialogue and diplomacy while safeguarding freedom of navigation.

Further diplomatic coordination between New Delhi and regional capitals is anticipated as authorities evaluate safety protocols for commercial vessels operating in congested West Asian waterways.