Two more LPG tankers bound for India transited the sensitive Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after Iran said India and four other "friendly nations" would be allowed to move their ships through the waterway amid the conflict. Latest shipping data showed that the tankers, BW ELM and BW TYR, navigated through the high-risk corridor, which has been effectively closed since the beginning of the war, and were now moving towards the Gulf of Oman.
The two India-flagged tankers, carrying over 90,000 tonnes of LPG (cooking gas), sailed close to each other, maintaining a speed of around 27 km/h as they exited the Gulf. Around five more Indian tankers, primarily carrying crude oil, are still anchored in waters near the United Arab Emirates and are awaiting clearance to pass through the strait, through which one-fifth of the global oil passes.
Altogether, 20 Indian-flagged ships are stranded in the Gulf. Besides, India is also loading LPG onto its empty vessels stranded in the region, Reuters reported.
The development comes a day after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made Tehran's stance clear on Hormuz, one of the world's most critical oil transit chokepoints. Araghchi told state TV that tankers of five "friendly nations" -- China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan -- would be allowed safe passage. In the same breath, he warned that ships linked to Iran's enemies would continue to face a blockade.
Since the war began a month ago, at least four India-flagged ships -- Jag Vasant, Pine Gas, Shivalik, and Nanda Devi -- have transited the strait.
Ship tracking data showed that Jag Vasant and Pine Gas, carrying over 90,000 tonnes of LPG, took an unusual route and crossed Hormuz between Iran's Larak and Qeshm islands rather than taking a shorter route into the Arabian Sea. Experts said it might have been to make their identity clear to Iranian authorities.
Nevertheless, the clearance from Iran for Indian-flagged ships has come as a big relief for New Delhi, which imports 90% of its energy needs.
The Strait of Hormuz is crucial for India as roughly 50% of its energy imports come through the corridor. As maritime traffic through the waterway shrank to a trickle over the past two weeks, India faced a squeeze in cooking-gas supplies. It led to panic-buying of cylinders by domestic users and also forced some restaurants to shut down temporarily or curtail their menu.
However, with Iran now allowing Indian tankers to sail through, the situation is expected to improve in the coming weeks.
