Iran has tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, disrupting global fuel supplies and causing turmoil in energy markets in response to US-Israeli strikes on February 28. According to maritime data, 60 per cent of commodity-bearing ships crossing the key shipping lane have either come from Iran or were heading there.
However, despite the blockade, India has emerged as one of the countries with the highest number of ships passing through this route. At least eight Indian vessels have passed through the Hormuz Strait since the conflict started.
Among these are two LPG carriers that safely transited the war zone, BW TYR and BW ELM, carrying LPG cargo of about 94,000 tonnes.
Indian Vessels That Transited Strait Of Hormuz
Four Indian-flagged LPG tankers sailed safely through the strait. From March 26 to 28, Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, with 92,612 tonnes of LPG, reached India. Before that, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi, carrying about 92,712 tonnes of LPG, had reached Mundra Port in Gujarat on March 16 and Kandla Port on March 17, PTI reported.
Additionally, Indian-flagged oil tanker Jag Laadki, with 80,886 tonnes of crude oil from the UAE, reached Mundra on March 18, while Jag Prakash, carrying gasoline from Oman to Africa, had previously safely crossed the strait.
The list of vessels that have safely transited the Hormuz Strait are: Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Jag Laadki, Pine Gas, Jag Vasant, BW Tyr, BW Elm, and Green Sanvi.
The Green Sanvi safely transited the Strait of Hormuz on Friday night, carrying approximately 46,650 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cargo.
Indian Navy warships were on standby to provide support to the merchant vessels.
The Centre has been in talks with Iranian authorities to allow Indian vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz amid a maritime blockade due to the ongoing Middle East conflict.
Iran Says “Non-Hostile Vessels” To Pass
Earlier, Iran informed member states of the International Maritime Organisation that “non-hostile vessels” may transit the Strait of Hormuz if they cooperate with Iranian authorities.
Tehran said in the letter that vessels linked to the US and Israel and “other participants in the aggression” do not qualify for innocent or non-hostile passage.
A senior Iranian legislator has suggested that Tehran could further escalate pressure on its adversaries by targeting the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints, amidst the ongoing maritime blockade of the Strait of Hormuz against hostile vessels.
Ghalibaf’s Bab el-Mandeb Strait Threat
The Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, hinted at the potential for significant disruption in a series of questions posted on the social media platform X on Friday.
Raising the stakes regarding global supply chain vulnerabilities, Ghalibaf questioned the extent of the world’s reliance on the passage. He asked, “What share of global oil, LNG, wheat, rice, and fertiliser shipments transits the Bab el-Mandeb Strait?” Along with a thinking face emoji, he added, “Which countries and companies account for the highest transit volumes through the strait?”
The Iran war is now entering its sixth week.