Iran raises the stakes for India by warning that war could reach the Indian Ocean.

Given India’s reliance on the region for energy supplies and marine trade, an Iranian warning that the ongoing Middle East crisis could spread to the Indian Ocean has sparked new worries for the nation. Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei’s adviser, Yahya Rahim Safavi, warned on Thursday that if the US or Israel initiates more strikes, Tehran may expand the battle.

“Since the conflict has spread from the Persian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz to the Red Sea, it is possible that, in response to more war, the front will expand even further, reaching the Indian Ocean and perhaps beyond,” Safavi said in a video released by Iran’s Fars news agency.

Fighting Saudi-backed government forces, Yemen’s Houthis recently seized control of the Red Sea shoreline, strengthening their hold on the vital Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal.Iran denies any role in the Yemeni conflict, but it has long supported the Houthis militarily.

In response to US-Israeli strikes that started the Middle East conflict at the end of February, the Islamic republic has also closed up the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran. A large portion of the world’s gas and oil flowed through Hormuz prior to the war, and now Iran and the US are fighting over control of the region.

Iranian leaders had previously threatened to extend the conflict’s geographical reach in the event that US strikes resumed. However, the Indian Ocean, which is home to a vital US-British military facility at Diego Garcia, over 4,000 kilometers from Iran, was specifically addressed by an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader on Thursday for the first time.

Officials from Iran and another country held talks in New York during the UN General Assembly, aiming to end the conflict. Iran proposed conditions, including lifting economic sanctions and releasing frozen assets. Hossein Mohebi, a spokesman for Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, also mentioned a desire to end the war in Yemen. An expansion of the conflict into the Indian Ocean could impact commercial shipping routes connecting India with the Middle East, Europe, and Africa.

India’s dependence on crude oil imports from the Middle East heightens its exposure to regional disruptions, particularly in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, which are vital for global energy supplies. Threats to shipping in these waters could lead to rising oil prices and transportation costs.

The Red Sea’s disruptions have already necessitated rerouting of vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, further escalating expenses. A broader conflict could intensify challenges for Indian trade, complicate maritime operations, and increase the Indian Navy’s role in safeguarding merchant vessels in the Indian Ocean region.