Dr. Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi, representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran in India

Amid rising regional tensions, Iran on Sunday addressed the incident of firing on Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz, with its top representative in India stressing on strong ties and calling for peace.Dr. Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi, representative of Iran’s supreme leader in India, said, “Relations between Iran and India are very strong and I do not know anything about this incident that you mentioned and we hope it will be fine and resolved.”He called for peace in his statement, saying, “We don’t want this war. We want peace, and we hope the other side will also abide by peace so that we can have a peaceful region.”This came after India fired at two Indian-flagged ships, Sanmar Herald and Jag Arnav, while transiting the Strait of Hormuz, forcing them to divert course mid-voyage, following which they lodged a strong protest. The ships carrying approximately 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil were reported safe, but the incident caused tension between the two countries.The Foreign Ministry summoned Iranian envoy Mohammad Fatahli and urged Tehran to resume safe passage for India-bound ships. Meanwhile, reports indicate that several ships, including Greek tankers, also turned back after the firing as Iran announced complete closure of the Strait of Hormuz less than 24 hours after announcing it was keeping it open, citing the US blockade.