Iran, on Monday (April 12, 2026), asserted that India was a “reliable and compassionate partner” during the ongoing West Asia war and denied it had imposed any toll on Indian cargo vessels passing through the blockaded Strait of Hormuz.
Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammed Fathali, at a press conference in New Delhi, said his nation maintained “good contact” with the Indian government on ensuring safe passage to vessels carrying cargo to Indian ports.
His remarks came amidst tensions with the US after Pakistan-mediated peace talks in Islamabad failed over the weekend, and American President Donald Trump ordered a blockade of all cargo vessels that passed through the Strait of Hormuz after paying the Iran-imposed toll.
Fathali said Iran was closely working with India to facilitate maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz and to extend support during the ongoing war, as both nations shared “common interest and common fate” in the region.
“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.
Noting that Iran shared a good relationship with India, he said Tehran wanted “good preparation for the Indian ships” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. “Our foreign minister has named India among the countries we consider friends,” Fathali said.
The narrow waterway in Iranian maritime territory is a key transit route for oil and gas, carrying about 20% of the world’s energy trade.
After the US and Israel bombed Iran on February 28, Tehran ordered its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to take control of the Strait of Hormuz and enforce a blockade, resulting in attacks on a few cargo vessels that defied the passage ban.
After the Islamabad peace talks failed on Sunday (April 12), Trump announced that it would now intercept all vessels that paid a toll to Iran to gain a safe passage through the critical maritime route.
Fathali, in a significant clarification over the coercive measures in the Gulf, said the cargo ships weren’t charged any toll for the safe passage of vessels heading to Indian ports.
“You can ask the Indian government if we have charged anything up to now,” he said, directly addressing speculations following Trump’s order to block vessels in the Gulf region if they had paid the Iranian toll.
“Iran believes and is committed to international law and freedom of navigation. We announced that in the near future, we will provide the mechanism (for safe passage) and announce it to all the countries,” he added.
India has repeatedly denied that it paid any toll to the Iranian to ensure the exit of cargo vessels headed to its ports through the troubled waters.
On the failed talks in Islamabad, Fathali said Iran was “ready for peace and for war, but we prefer peace.” He said the US demands on the nuclear issues were “unlawful” and that the two sides also discussed lifting all sanctions on Iran and war reparations for the infrastructural damage caused by the US and Israel inside Iran.
“I think that they want some unlawful demands. Our high-ranking officials and delegations said that we are ready for peace. We are ready for negotiation. But you should know that, and you should be aware that Iran is also ready for war,” the Iranian envoy said.
Fathali accused the US and Israel of carrying out extensive strikes on civilian targets, including medical centres, educational institutions, and cultural sites.
The Iranian envoy’s press conference came as the US-Israel combine and Iran resumed their hostilities after the failed peace talks in Pakistan.