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‘Passage of Indian-flagged vessels, tankers through Hormuz on a case-by-case basis’
Iran’s foreign minister has said that Tehran has permitted passage through the Strait of Hormuz for “friendly nations” such as India, China, Iraq, Pakistan and Russia
New Delhi: Iran is allowing Indian-flagged merchant vessels and tankers to cross the Strait of Hormuz on a case-by-case basis and New Delhi remains engaged with key stakeholders to ensure the safe passage of ships through the critical waterway that was used to transport 50% of the country’s oil imports, people familiar with the matter said.
Iran’s foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said during an interview with state media on Thursday that Tehran has permitted passage through the Strait of Hormuz for “friendly nations” such as India, China, Iraq, Pakistan and Russia. So far, Iran has allowed four Indian-flagged LPG carriers to pass through the strait since the start of the West Asia conflict, and another 20 vessels are still located to the west of the waterway.
The Iranian side is allowing Indian-flagged vessels to pass through the strait on a case-by-case basis and there is no blanket clearance for the use of the narrow waterway, the people said on condition of anonymity. “Our focus remains on ensuring the safe passage of the 20 vessels located to the west of the Strait of Hormuz,” one of the people said.
The Indian side is also keen to work out arrangements for other vessels to use the strait to go to ports in West Asian states to pick up more supplies of oil and gas, the people said. In this context, the Indian side is drawing comfort from Araghchi’s remarks that the Strait of Hormuz is closed only to vessels linked to Iran’s adversaries.
“The region is a war zone, and there is no reason to allow the ships of our enemies and their allies to pass through,” Araghchi told the Iranian state broadcaster. “But it remains open to others.”
Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the shipping ministry, told a media briefing that the 20 Indian-flagged merchant vessels with 540 Indian sailors were currently safe. External affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly briefing that the Indian side continues to be in touch with “all concerned countries for the safe transit of our ships to meet our energy requirements”.
Jaiswal said India’s approach to sourcing energy continues to be based on the imperative of securing the needs of the country’s 1.4 billion people, dynamics in the market, and the global situation. He responded to a question about efforts by several countries to secure the Strait of Hormuz by saying that India is closely following the matter and all developments in the West Asia conflict, especially steps related to ensuring safe and free navigation through the strait so that the energy security of the country can be addressed.
