NEW DELHI: Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Saturday said that t“distance from conflict no longer means distance from consequences” as tensions continue to impact maritime routes around the Strait of Hormuz.Speaking about the challenges involved in ensuring the safe passage of oil tankers through the strategic waterway, the Chief of Naval Staff said the region faces a range of security threats.“The primary challenges in this region include regional instability, asymmetric threats, attacks on merchant shipping, missile and drone threats, navigational safety concerns, and the increasing complexity of maritime traffic management during periods of heightened tension,” he said as quoted by ANI.To protect those interests, the Indian Navy has strengthened its presence in the region. “To safeguard India’s maritime interests and ensure the safe passage of trade, the Indian Navy has proactively stepped up its presence. We have maintained a sustained operational presence, enhanced aerial surveillance, and implemented Mission-Based Deployments across critical maritime routes in the region,” he said.Emphasising the importance of secure shipping routes, he added: “Maritime security and energy security are inseparable. Distance from conflict no longer means distance from consequences.”The Navy chief’s remarks come at a time of growing instability in key maritime regions and increasing strategic competition in the Indian Ocean. Speaking separately to PTI, Admiral Tripathi said the Navy remains alert to the changing security environment.“We are fully aware [that the] Indian Ocean Region [is] seeing increasing strategic contestation, extra-regional presence,” he said, adding that “deterrence flows from credible capability and operational readiness”.He also said Operation Sindoor had reaffirmed the Indian Navy’s “readiness, reach and deterrence capability”. Looking ahead, Admiral Tripathi said future conflicts would require close coordination across multiple domains.“Future conflicts will demand seamless coordination across land, sea, air, cyber, space and information domains,” he said.