Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 14: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor issued a stark warning on the escalating US-Israel-Iran conflict, urging immediate international diplomacy to end hostilities and unlock the Strait of Hormuz—Iran’s critical leverage amid its mounting battlefield setbacks and the looming threat to worldwide oil supplies, shipping lanes, and economic stability.
In detailed remarks highlighting the conflict’s grim asymmetry, Tharoor noted media reports of 13 American soldiers and around 5,000 Iranians killed, with Iran suffering disproportionately heavy destruction from relentless missile strikes far outpacing its drone and retaliatory barrages. “Iran finds itself very much on the back foot, with few chokeholds left on the world—Hormuz remains their ace, a vital artery for global crude where they can render passage difficult and exorbitantly expensive,” he explained, underscoring Tehran’s strategy to disrupt oil tankers, airlines, and trade routes as desperation mounts.
The Kerala MP painted a vivid picture of the stakes: Iran’s vulnerability stems from its limited options beyond maritime strangleholds, while superior US-Israel firepower has hammered targets across the Islamic Republic. “The balance tilts entirely against them—much more devastation in Iran than elsewhere. Without swift de-escalation, expect tighter restrictions that spike energy costs, cripple supply chains, and hammer economies from Delhi to Dubai,” Tharoor cautioned.
Stressing India’s acute vulnerability as a top oil importer, he called for concerted global pressure on war architects—led by President Trump’s administration—to declare a ceasefire pronto. “Persuading those conducting this war to call it off quickly is our shared objective, protecting not just our economy but the entire volatile Gulf region’s fragile peace,” Tharoor asserted, framing diplomacy as the sole path to avert a broader crisis sparked since late February’s joint strikes over Iran’s nuclear defiance.
As two Indian LPG vessels recently transited Hormuz safely, Tharoor’s intervention amplifies New Delhi’s quiet navigation of superpower crossfire, positioning India to champion talks that safeguard its energy security and amplify its rising global voice amid West Asia’s powder keg
