NEW DELHI: India is deploying additional warships to the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman to ensure safe passage of its vessels carrying fuel and LPG as tensions rise around the Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg reported citing sources.The Indian Navy has positioned more than half a dozen warships, including logistics vessels, as a precautionary measure.
The ships will remain east of the Strait of Hormuz and will not enter the sensitive waterway. Its main role will be to escort Indian ships to safer waters in the northern Arabian Sea, people familiar with the matter told the agency.The deployment comes as India anticipates that Iran could allow more tankers out of the strait. In recent days, New Delhi has already ensured the safe passage of two state-owned LPG tankers and is in talks with Tehran to facilitate the movement of more vessels.
The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed since the US and Israeli airstrikes against Iran in late February, causing supply disruptions. India, which relies heavily on the region for energy imports, has been particularly hard hit, with around 90% of its LPG imports coming from the Middle East. India has not responded directly to US calls for allied naval involvement in protecting the strait. External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said the issue was not discussed with Washington “in a bilateral setting.”The current deployment is part of Operation Sankalp, launched in 2019 to safeguard India’s merchant shipping and maritime interests in the Gulf region.According to government data, 22 Indian-flagged ships remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, transporting critical energy supplies. These include LPG carriers, LNG tankers, oil tankers and other cargo vessels.Earlier in the day, Shipping Ministry spokesperson Rajesh Kumar Sinha said, “1.67 million tonnes of crude oil, 3.2 lakh tonnes of LPG and around 2 lakh tonnes of LNG from India are stuck in the 22 Indian-flagged ships stranded in the Persian Gulf, waiting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.” He added that the 611 sailors on board these ships are safe. Efforts are being made to ensure the safe passage of ships.The Strait of Hormuz, a tight but vital link between the Persian Gulf and the open sea, handles almost a fifth of the world’s oil shipments. Its closure has disrupted global energy flows, with nearly 500 tankers currently stranded in the region.India imports about 88% of its crude oil, 50% of its natural gas and 60% of its LPG. A significant part of these supplies, up to 95% of LPG and around 30% of gas, usually pass through the strait.While crude oil disruptions have been partly offset by alternative sources such as Russia, West Africa and the United States, LPG and gas supplies have been affected, especially for industrial and commercial users.Earlier, under the watchful eye of the Indian Navy, two Indian-flagged LPG tankers belonging to the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), Shivalik and Nanda Devi, successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz and reached India. Another Indian-flagged tanker, the Jag Prakash, carrying gasoline from Oman to Africa, also set sail from the eastern Strait of Hormuz.