India, the United States and the United Arab Emirates held trilateral talks in Mumbai on Tuesday, as the conflict in West Asia continues to threaten oil supplies, shipping routes and regional stability.
Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan to discuss regional energy security and shared economic priorities. Jaishankar described the meeting as “a useful exchange of perspectives on energy, connectivity and contemporary developments”. Rubio arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday, while the UAE foreign minister began a two-day visit to India on Monday evening.
The talks come as Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, which normally carries roughly a fifth of global petroleum flows, has severely disrupted oil supplies. Iran-backed Houthi militants have also attacked Saudi Arabia, including a strike on the kingdom’s East-West pipeline, which has become a key alternative route for moving crude to the Red Sea since Hormuz shipping was disrupted.
The attacks have also raised fears for the Bab-el-Mandeb strait linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, a vital passage for shipping between the Suez Canal and Asian markets. India, which relies heavily on imported crude, has voiced serious concern over the Houthi attacks on Saudi civilian infrastructure, warning that they threaten regional stability and freedom of navigation.
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