Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Iran has allowed India-flagged tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on March 12 following talks between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi . According to sources familiar with the developments, Indian tankers Pushpak and Parimal have been passing safely through the Strait of Hormuz even as ships from the US, Europe and Israel continue to face restrictions in the strategically important waterway.
Ensuring the safe navigation of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz figured prominently during a conversation between EAM Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi late on March 11. The two leaders discussed the evolving situation in West Asia, and the issue of maritime movement through the strait was a key point of discussion. This was their third conversation since the outbreak of the Iran war.
In a related development, a Liberian-flagged tanker carrying Saudi Arabian crude oil and captained by an Indian has also successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz and berthed at the Mumbai port. The vessel has become the first India-bound tanker to safely pass through the waterway after maritime traffic in the region slowed dramatically following attacks on Iran by the United States and Israel. The tanker, Shenlong Suezmax, had loaded crude oil from the Saudi port of Ras Tanura on March 1 and departed two days later.
According to maritime tracking data from Lloyd’s List Intelligence and TankerTrackers, the vessel’s last recorded location before reaching Indian waters showed it inside the Strait of Hormuz on March 8. The successful passage of the tanker is expected to ease some of the growing concerns in India over possible disruptions in energy supplies. India, which is Asia’s third-largest economy, relies heavily on the Strait of Hormuz as more than half of its crude oil and natural gas imports pass through the narrow maritime corridor.
