Navy chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi on Tuesday flagged that drones, mines, and modern technology were “threatening” critical global choke points such as the Strait of Hormuz without a formal announcement of a blockade.
His remarks came amid the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — a vital waterway that connects oil and gas producers in the Persian Gulf with the wider world — by Iran in the wake of the ongoing West Asia conflict, which has led to an over 40 per cent surge in prices of crude oil in the last four weeks.
“Modern technology is lowering the threshold for disruption. Drones, uncrewed systems and manoeuvring mines now threaten critical choke points such as the Strait of Hormuz even without a formal announcement of a blockade,” Tripathi said without naming any country.
Speaking at the International Conference on India-Japan Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific in Delhi, he said the fallout of any such disruption had a far-reaching impact on energy imports, “which we are witnessing”.
Sources said amid the ongoing crisis and its impact on Indian energy security, the navy chief cancelled his bilateral visit to Australia and New Zealand, scheduled on March 19-23.
A navy official said over half a dozen warships had been deployed close to the Gulf region to safely escort tankers carrying fuel to India amid the evolving conflict in West Asia.
