External affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi discussed the West Asia conflict and its implications, including the Strait of Hormuz situation, in their first bilateral meeting since the US-Israel and Iran war started in February. Araghchi said later that he had a fruitful engagement with Jaishankar, discussed regional developments and clarified that Iran will always carry out “historical duty as protector of security in Hormuz”.“Iran is a reliable partner of all friendly nations, who can rely on safety of commerce,” said the Iranian minister, looking to address India’s concerns over energy supply disruptions because of the Hormuz blockade. Iranian authorities had said in the run up to the BRICS meeting that Tehran will work with friendly countries like India to facilitate movement of commercial ships through the Strait.Speaking at a press conference later, Araghchi also said India can play a greater role in this region to help diplomacy and promote peace and security. “India is a friend to almost all countries in the Persian Gulf, in the north of this Gulf, and in the southern part. So, we appreciate any positive, constructive role played by India in this region,” said the foreign minister, while blaming the US for the economic consequences of the conflict. The Iranian foreign minister’s remarks echoed comments by his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov earlier in the day that India can contribute to diplomatic efforts for long-term peace. “Pakistan is helping establish dialogue between the US and Iran to resolve urgent problems. If they seek a long-term mediator between Iran and its Arab friends, this role could be played by India, considering its vast diplomatic experience,” Lavrov had said. Asked about the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, Araghchi further said that the strait is open and all vessels can pass except those belonging to countries at war with Iran. “We have allowed a number of Indian vessels to pass. The safe passage of all vessels is our policy and in our interest. At the same time, we have the blockade by the US and insecurity in the region because of their aggression,” said the Iranian minister. With many Indian LPG tankers still awaiting clearance from Iran to sail through, India has remained diplomatically engaged with Tehran on the issue. Jaishankar is said to have underscored the need for freedom of navigation in the meeting. Aragchi also said that the talks mediated by Pakistan had not failed but added that the situation was difficult. “There is still hope. We couldn’t achieve a deal in Islamabad when we met, mostly because of the maximalist positions taken by the US and by their well-known behavior of shifting the goalposts. So, we are familiar with those tactics, and we cannot accept anything beyond a fair and balanced deal,” said the minister.