New Delhi, Apr 18: One Indian-flagged oil tanker crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, while at least four others trying to transit the choke point turned back after Iran signalled the strategic waterway was closed again.
Oil tanker Desh Garima appeared to have successfully crossed the Strait on Saturday, ship tracking data showed. The Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) tanker is the 10th India-flagged vessel to have crossed the Strait since early March.
As of Saturday evening, it was sailing in the Gulf of Oman, according to ship tracking data from maritime data and intelligence platform MarineTraffic.
MarineTraffic data showed oil tankers Sanmar Herald, Desh Vaibhav and Desh Vibhor, along with bulk carrier Jag Arnav, reversing course near the chokepoint, taking the number of India-flagged ships in the Persian Gulf to 14.
State-run SCI owns Desh Vaibhav and Desh Vibhor, while Sanmar Herald is operated by Sanmar Shipping and Jag Arnav by Great Eastern Shipping Company.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, a tanker reported being approached by two Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats and fired upon about 20 nautical miles northeast of Oman.
This may have prompted the Indian vessels to turn back.
In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Iranian envoy to lodge a protest over the reported targeting of Indian vessels.
According to shipping monitor TankerTrackers.com, two India-flagged ships, including a supertanker carrying Iraqi crude, were forced to turn back after coming under fire.
The disruptions come as scores of commercial vessels and thousands of seafarers remain stranded in the Persian Gulf since the outbreak of the West Asia war on February 28, which has sharply curtailed movement through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz handles about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, making it one of the world’s most critical energy arteries. Iran’s ability to disrupt traffic through the narrow passage has emerged as a key lever in the conflict.
The halt in transit has driven up energy prices, triggered supply shortages in parts of the world and forced some countries to ration fuel, underscoring the global impact of the standoff.
