US-Iran War: The government on Monday said that 10 foreign-flagged ships, carrying energy products to India, are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf. These are in addition to 18 Indian-flagged vessels, with LPG, crude oil, and LNG, that remain anchored to the west of the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking at a media briefing on Monday, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, said three of the 10 foreign-flagged ships are carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), four are loaded with crude oil, and three are carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Among the 18 Indian-flagged vessels, three are LPG tankers, one is an LNG carrier, and four are crude oil tankers. Additionally, one is being loaded with LPG, he added. These ships are among the 500 vessels that have been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route paralysed by the ongoing Middle East conflict.
"The government's priority is to ensure that Indian-flagged vessels carrying India-bound cargo are allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz," Sinha stressed.
Pointing out the rise in insurance premiums, he said, "The affected area is not just the Strait of Hormuz; areas outside of it also fall under the high-risk area (HRA). Commercial premiums that used to be 0.04 per cent of the insured value before the war have since gone up. In one case, the premium now is 0.7 per cent of the insured value, and it could be even higher."
Eight Indian-Flagged Vessels Safely Transit Strait Of Hormuz
According to the government, eight Indian-flagged ships have safely transited through the strait so far. This includes two LPG carriers, BW TYR and BW ELM, carrying a combined 94,000 tonnes of LPG, which safely navigated the narrow waterway in the last couple of days, Sinha said.
BW TYR is heading towards Mumbai, with an expected arrival on March 31, while BW ELM is en route to New Mangalore, with an expected arrival on April 1.
Responding to a question about whether vessels that have already discharged cargo at domestic ports would be sent back to Gulf countries for additional supplies, Sinha said, "Our first priority is to get Indian-flagged vessels out... We are yet to reach the stage where we start sending back vessels (for refills)."
He emphasised that the government is closely monitoring developments in West Asia, focusing on the safety of Indian seafarers, vessel movements and port operations.
"All Indian seafarers in the region are safe, and no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The situation has remained stable over the last 72 hours as well," he added.
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US-Israel-Iran War
The conflict, which began on February 28 when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, has led Tehran to retaliate with strikes across the region and restrict access to the Strait of Hormuz. In peacetime, about one-fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passes through this narrow waterway.
Iran, however, said that 'non-hostile vessels' may be allowed to transit the Strait of Hormuz after coordinating with Iranian authorities.