HighLights
  1. Iran blacklists 45 tankers, including India's Maha Roos, Disha.
  2. Vessels face fines, seizure for Strait of Hormuz violations.
  3. US sanctions Indian firms, impacting India-Iran trade relations.

Amid escalating tensions with the US, Iran has reportedly blacklisted 45 tankers, including India-based vessels, Maha Roos and Disha. Iran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has released the list of 45 “non-compliant” vessels for allegedly violating “Iranian protocols” for passage through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran Blacklists 45 Tankers, Including Indian Vessels

The move represents Tehran’s bid to assert stricter control over the vital waterway, which remains at the centre of the ongoing conflict and comes just days after Washington threatened Tehran with the “toughest sanctions in history”. A closer analysis of the PGSA blacklist, released on Monday reveals that Iran's maritime restrictions pose a direct, structural threat to the global energy security ecosystem.

Out of the 45 blacklisted tankers, some vessels have verifiable connections to India, despite flying foreign flags or being operated by international entities. Most of the vessels on the list are linked to entities based in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Other than the UAE, ships linked to countries like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Malta, and Singapore are also on the list.

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A Pakistan-flagged crude oil tanker, Mardan is also included in the violations list by the PGSA. Additionally, according to news agency AFP report, one-third of the vessels that Tehran threatened to confiscate for breaching transit rules were already targeted during the war that started in February. The report adds that most of the vessels (approximately 39) on Tehran’s list are commodity carriers that have transited the waterway at least once since early March.

ALSO READ: Trump Declares 'Economic Warfare' On Iran, Warns Allies Backing Tehran Will Face 'Severe Consequences'

Blacklisted For Violations

While up to 14 vessels on the blacklist share commercial or energy-transport ties with India, Disha and Maha Roos are the only ones owned and run by Indian companies. “In light of violations by certain vessels of the Iranian arrangements for transiting the Strait of Hormuz, these vessels will face restrictions in their future transits through Strait of Hormuz, such as fines, seizure, or confiscation,” the PGSA said in a post on X.

It added, “To avoid potential issues, it is necessary for cargo owners to the destination or from the origin to review the list of the vessels on the PGSA’s website.” However, it has not detailed the violations by the vessels.

Why Is It Concerning For India?

The development is concerning for India as it comes at a time when the US has already targeted four Indian firms and people related to them in the fresh secondary sanctions against Iran. According to a press release by the US State Department, the entities and Indian nationals were sanctioned for importing petroleum and petrochemical products from Iran. The firms include: Portease Partners LLP, Sadashiva Overseas Limited, PP Softtech Private Limited Prakrutees Infra Impex India Private Limited.

US Sanctions Four Indian Firms

The US has accused these firms of "knowingly engaging in a significant transaction for the purchase, acquisition, sale, transport, or marketing of petrochemical products from Iran." Earlier on August 20, US President Donald Trump had announced what he described as the "most crushing economic operation ever taken" against Iran, warning that any country providing financial or other support to Tehran would face "tremendous economic consequences".

Notably, India has always been one of the top trading partners of Iran. However, the scenario has changed in recent years as official figures from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry indicate that total bilateral trade between India and Iran has fallen significantly. The bilateral trade between the two countries stood at USD 1.6 billion in the year ending March 2026, down from USD 2.3 billion in the year through to March 2023.

ALSO READ: US Sanctions 4 Indian Firms For Iranian Petroleum Trade Under Operation Economic Outcast

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