new delhi, June 16 -- As the armed conflict between Iran and Israel has already increased shipment costs by up to 50% and further threatens to disrupt trade routes across West Asia, the government will talk to exporters to assess the impact and chart a response, three officials aware of the development told Mint. The discussions will be aimed at safeguarding India's exports to the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Israel, along with major European markets, the officials said on the condition of anonymity. The conflict has escalated concerns over the safety of cargo passing through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea, a critical maritime corridor for Indian exports. Shipping delays, rising freight charges, and limited insurance coverage are already being flagged by exporters and trade bodies, they said. "As the situation has escalated only recently, we are closely monitoring developments and will engage with exporters and relevant industry groups to formulate a strategy that minimises the disruption to trade," said one of the three officials cited above. "The discussion will be centred around finding a way out of the crisis and ensuring that trade flows are preserved to the extent possible." Export promotion councils, including those representing engineering goods, basmati rice, textiles, and pharmaceuticals, have raised an alarm. "The geopolitical tensions will have a major impact on India's export-oriented trade to Europe and West Asia, as the Red Sea is a key route," said Arun Kumar Garodia, former chairman of the Engineering Export Promotion Council....