External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday, issuing a sharp critique of ongoing hostilities in the Gulf region and calling for immediate international restraint. Speaking against the backdrop of an expanding Iran-US war, Jaishankar spotlighted the direct peril faced by commercial shipping lanes and maritime workers, warning that nations far removed from active combat zones are shouldering heavy economic penalties.
The Mounting Maritime Crisis in International Waterways
The geopolitical shockwaves of the Iran-US conflict have transformed vital international waterways into zones of acute danger. Jaishankar pulled no punches at the UN rostrum, declaring that the targeted attacks on commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting critical global trade corridors are simply unacceptable. The crisis extends far beyond property damage, threatening the fundamental pillars of international commerce where oceans support more than 80% of global trading activities worth over $140 billion a day.
The human toll on merchant fleets remains severe. Nearly two million seafarers operate these vessels, frequently enduring not only lethal kinetic threats but also prolonged confinement, delayed crew changes, forced repatriation hurdles, and immense psychological distress. In response to these widening vulnerabilities, India and Liberia have proposed an inclusive Group of Friends platform to bring together major ship-owning states, leading ship registries, and countries supplying large contingents of mariners to forge a coordinated protective response.
Confronting State-Sponsored Terrorism and Regional Flashpoints
Shifting focus to regional security and cross-border militancy, Jaishankar delivered a pointed rebuke directed at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Addressing the previous day’s proceedings, India’s foreign minister condemned what he termed a serial practitioner of terrorism attempting to manipulate facts before the global assembly. Friendship and goodwill cannot coexist with terrorism, he emphasized, reaffirming India’s unyielding right to national self-defense.
On broader international conflicts, Jaishankar addressed the war in Ukraine, now entering its fifth year, echoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stance that endless war must yield to a negotiated peace. Simultaneously, addressing the persistent turmoil in West Asia, New Delhi reiterated its steadfast support for a two-state solution while scaling up humanitarian relief efforts for the Palestinian people.
The Predicament of the Global South and the Weaponization of Supply Chains
The diplomatic address also underscored the structural inequalities facing developing economies. Jaishankar diagnosed a systemic weaponization of the global order, pointing to a hyper-competitive mindset that disrupts supply chains, constricts market access, and weaponizes technology and financial resources. This dynamic has left the Global South grappling with a severe 4F crisis encompassing food, fuel, fertilizer, and finance.
Compound pressures from a super El Niño, persistent fertilizer shortages, and interrupted grain movements continue to imperil progress toward sustainable development goals. As traditional frameworks fray, Jaishankar noted that nations are increasingly forced to prioritize de-risking and supply chain diversification over mutual trust and open economic cooperation.
