New Delhi has said the vessels, carrying more than 92,000 tons of gas, are expected to arrive later this week
Two Indian-flagged tankers have sailed through the Strait of Hormuz amid the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran, New Delhi has said.
The Indian Shipping Ministry confirmed that the tankers, carrying more than 92,000 tons of liquified petroleum gas (LPG), had sailed through the strait. Indian crew members are on board the vessels, Reuters reported.
The ministry said the vessels were expected to reach ports in India between March 26 and 28.
The tankers had loaded LPG in the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait before transiting through the Iranian chokepoint, although overall traffic through the critical waterway remains blocked, Reuters said.
📸 VISUALS: 🇮🇳 LPG Carrier Crosses Strait Of Hormuz
The Jag Vasant and Pine Gas, carrying 92,612.59 MT of LPG combined, have passed safely through the Strait of Hormuz, and are set to reach India’s ports between 26 & 28 March. The vessels have 60 Indian seafarers onboard in… pic.twitter.com/sz8EMXbAGc
Hundreds of vessels and an estimated 20,000 crew reportedly remain stranded inside the Gulf in response to Iran’s threats to attacks vessels traversing the vital strait linking it to the Arabian Sea.
Tehran has said the passage is not blocked for friendly countries.
A vessel carrying oil products headed to India also traversed the strait on March 21, Kpler data showed.
Reports said shipping traffic through the Strait is down nearly 95% from the levels before the conflict erupted.
The movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz has become highly challenging since the Middle East conflict began, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday.
New Delhi imports 85% of its oil and nearly half of its natural gas. About half of the country’s oil supplies and 55% of its LNG shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Since the US and Israel launched their war against Iran in late February, New Delhi has invoked special legislation to ensure adequate gas supplies to its 1.4 billion people.
