US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau has said that the United States (US) will work closely with India to ensure the country’s energy requirements are met in both the short and long term, amid fears over disruptions in crude oil flows following ongoing conflict in West Asia. He said the US is an energy-rich country and it can be part of India's energy solution.

He said the US endgame in West Asia will be to ensure a region that is not a threat to other parts of the world. He said ‘the Trump administration tried to talk sense into the Iranians, (but we) concluded this was not going to work. These are unsettled days right now but I think this part of the world has been quite unsettled for quite a long time’. He said the Iranian people should decide on their leadership, and the US, India and other countries should work together to foster a transition that will allow the region to reach a new normal. 

Talking on the proposed trade deal between India and the US, he said it is almost at the finish line now and can be the basis for unlocking almost limitless potential. Meanwhile, global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran has virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG). India imports 88 per cent of its crude oil needs and roughly half of its natural gas requirement. These mostly come via the Strait of Hormuz.