India has deployed two additional warships and a submarine to the Arabian Sea as part of an expanded naval presence aimed at protecting its energy supply lines through the Strait of Hormuz. The deployment, confirmed by India's Ministry of Defence on Monday, brings the total Indian naval presence in the region to seven vessels — the largest Indian naval deployment outside the Indian Ocean in over a decade.

New Delhi imports approximately 85 per cent of its crude oil, with a significant portion transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The disruption to shipping since mid-March has forced India to draw down strategic petroleum reserves and seek alternative supply routes, including increased imports from Russia via the Pacific and overland pipeline discussions with Central Asian producers.

The deployment is notable for its diplomatic framing. India has positioned the naval expansion not as participation in the US-led coalition but as an independent operation to protect Indian-flagged vessels and ensure the security of India's energy imports. This careful neutrality reflects New Delhi's effort to maintain functional relationships with both Washington and Tehran.

Defence analysts noted that the Indian Navy's expanded presence gives New Delhi significant leverage in any future multinational framework for Hormuz security. The Saudi-UAE draft resolution at the UN Security Council explicitly names India as a desired contributor to any international naval force, an invitation that aligns with India's growing ambitions as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean region.

Pakistan, which shares a border with Iran and has been hosting the Vance-led US-Iran negotiations in Islamabad, expressed concern about the militarisation of the Arabian Sea but stopped short of objecting to India's deployment directly.