The Indian government has denied a report that Iran sought the release of three oil tankers seized in February as part of negotiations on safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
An official stated that the report by Reuters is baseless, with no discussion of this nature between Indian and Iranian authorities.
The three vessels, Stellar Ruby, Asphalt Star, and Al Jafzia, were intercepted 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai for suspicious activity within India's exclusive economic zone.
The vessels are currently docked off Mumbai, accused of concealing or altering their identities and engaging in illegal ship-to-ship transfers.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar said talks with Iran on safe passage for Indian vessels are 'ongoing' and 'yielding results', with a history of cooperation between the two nations.
