An Indian crude oil tanker, Desh Garima, crossed the tense Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, becoming the 10th Indian vessel to transit the narrow waterway since the war started between the United States, Israel and Iran on February 28 and the second since the ceasefire was achieved.
According to Maritime traffic data, Desh Garima started its journey from Ras Laffan port in Qatar and transited through the Omani waters. It was currently in the Gulf of Oman.
The development came amid rising tensions between Iran and the US over the latter's naval blockade, imposed after Iran refused to open the Strait of Hormuz despite the ceasefire. Iran's stance on Hormuz was against Israel's continued bombings of Lebanon despite the US-Iran truce.
The two West Asian neighbours later agreed to a 10-day ceasefire, leading Iran to open the Hormuz. The tensions further rose after Trump announced that the naval blockade would continue until a final agreement is reached.
Irked by it, Iran first threatened and within hours closed the Strait again, taking the global economic and energy stakes to a high again.
It was not clear if the Indian vessel, Desh Garima, transited the volatile energy chokepoint after the closure or before it.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) announced the closure, accusing the US of breaching the truce and piracy under the garb of a blockade.
Iran's joint military command said that its "control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state and the strait is under strict management and control of the armed forces." It came hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had asserted that the crucial waterways remained open.
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Meanwhile, the Central government on Saturday approved a Bharat Maritime Insurance Pool with a sovereign guarantee fund of Rs 12,980 crore.
The move is intended to deal with rising insurance premiums and stricter approvals for shipping cover.