Image for representation purposes only India has told the United Nations that commercial ships must not be targeted because of geopolitical tensions as the conflict in West Asia continues to affect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, P Harish, made the statement at a UN Security Council meeting hosted by Bahrain on September 17. The meeting was held under the Arria-formula format and was titled “Safe Seas, Shared Security: Protecting Freedom of Navigation in an Evolving Security Environment”. “Commercial vessels must not become targets of geopolitical tensions,” Harish said. He also said navigational rights must not face “coercion, threats, unlawful restrictions or arbitrary interference”. India supports a “free, open, secure and rules-based maritime domain”, Harish said. He added that navigation and overflight rights must be respected under international law, including the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. Harish said problems at major sea routes can quickly affect shipping costs. Freight and insurance costs can rise when ships face security risks. Ships may also have to use longer routes. Developing countries can be hit harder by these disruptions, he said. India said countries should have plans to keep commercial and humanitarian cargo moving during a crisis. It said action should not begin only after an incident has taken place. The problems in the Gulf and West Asia have also affected energy supplies. Harish said the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz disrupted oil and gas supplies and led to a steep rise in global petroleum prices. India has also suffered collateral damage during the conflict in the Strait of Hormuz. New Delhi has protested to Iran and the United States over incidents in which Indian sailors were killed. It has also protested to Iran over an attack on an Indian-registered ship. In April, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats fired warning shots at two Indian