New Delhi | India backs the swift restoration of peace in West Asia and keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for global shipping, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday when US President Donald Trump dialled him to discuss the crisis.
It was the first conversation between the two leaders since the West Asia conflict began on February 28.
In the conversation, PM Modi underlined the importance of ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible, noting that it is vital for global peace, stability and economic well-being.
The phone call came a day after President Trump extended Washington's deadline by five days for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
"Received a call from President Trump and had a useful exchange of views on the situation in West Asia," Modi said on social media.
"India supports de-escalation and restoration of peace at the earliest. Ensuring that the Strait of Hormuz remains open, secure and accessible is essential for the whole world. We agreed to stay in touch regarding efforts towards peace and stability," he said.
Global oil and gas prices have surged after Iran virtually blocked the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, that handles roughly 20 per cent of global oil and LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas).
West Asia has been a major source of India's energy procurement.
US envoy to India Sergio Gor also said that PM Modi and President Trump deliberated on the importance of keeping the key shipping lane open.
"They discussed the ongoing situation in the Middle East, including the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open," Gor said on social media.
Trump said on Monday that he has extended the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and that he will hold off strikes against Iranian energy sites for five days.
The US president, without sharing any details, also said that there have been "productive conversations" between the US and Iran for "complete and total resolution" to the conflict in West Asia.
In the last few days, PM Modi has held phone conversations with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and the leadership of the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states - Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He also spoke to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar too held phone conversations with several of his counterparts from GCC countries. Jaishankar met Iranian ambassador Mohammad Fathali on Tuesday.
Following his meeting with the Iranian envoy, Jaishankar said in a social media post that they discussed the conflict in West Asia but didn't share details.
"Appreciate the support provided to Indians in Iran in these challenging times," he said.
The phone call between Modi and Trump has to be seen in the context of India's outreach, which has focused on efforts aimed at ending the hostilities as soon as possible and ensuring the unimpeded flow of energy through the Strait of Hormuz, people familiar with the matter said while explaining the ramifications for the country's food, fuel and fertiliser security if the blockade of the shipping lane continues.
India wants an end to the conflict as soon as possible, they said, adding the consequences of the hostilities are going to be significant as it could soon impact food security in Africa as well as fertiliser supplies.
There could be another round of fuel and food insecurity as was witnessed after the start of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, the people said.
At the same time, the Indian side has ruled out any possibility of getting involved in the situation in West Asia, they said.
The Indian Navy is focused on ensuring the security of Indian-flagged merchant vessels in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, they said.
New Delhi | Sailing through the Strait of Hormuz - the only sea channel linking the oil-rich Persian Gulf with open oceans - does not require permission from any country, a senior government official said as more Indian vessels prepared to sail through the war-hit zone.
Rejecting talks of stranded Indian vessels in the Persian Gulf being allowed to sail through the strait only after reaching some kind of an agreement with Iran, which controls the narrow shipping lane, Rajesh Kumar Singh, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said the movement through strait is taken by shipping companies and their contracting entities after considering safety and other conditions.
Movement of ships through the strait had come to a near halt after the US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, and Tehran's sweeping retaliation that hit US bases in the Gulf regions as well as Israel.
"No permission is required to sail through the strait," Sinha said at the media briefing on the developments in West Asia.
He was asked if New Delhi took permission or paid Iran for the movement of its stranded vessels, particularly those laden with LPG - a commodity that has become scarce in the country following the war.
The strait is covered by international navigation conventions, he said. "There is freedom for navigation through the strait.
Since the strait is narrow, only the entry and exit lanes are demarked which need to be followed by shipping lines.
"The decision to sail (through the strait) is taken between the shipping company and the one which has chartered the ship... it is the decision of the charterer and shipping company when to sail or when not to sail," he said. "Since these are special circumstances, they assess the situation with regard to safety, etc., before deciding. No permission is required."
Two more Indian-flagged LPG tankers, carrying about a day's supply of the country's cooking gas, on Monday crossed the war-hit Strait of Hormuz and are expected to reach Indian shores on March 26/27.
LPG tankers Pine Gas is carrying about 45,000 tonnes of LPG, and it is scheduled to reach New Mangalore port on March 27, while Jag Vasant with 47,612 tonnes of LPG will reach Kandla in Gujarat on March 26, he said.
The two ships, carrying 92,612 tonnes of LPG, have 33 and 27 Indian seafarers onboard.
Both LPG tankers sailed through waters between Iran's Larak and Qeshm islands -- possibly to make their identity clear to Iranian authorities before they cross the strait, ship tracking data showed.
The two ships were among the 22 Indian flagged vessels that were stranded in the Persian Gulf after the war in West Asia nearly closed the Strait of Hormuz.
Previously, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi, carrying about 92,712 tonnes of LPG, had safely reached the Indian shore.
Originally, there were 28 Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz when the war in West Asia broke out following US-Israel attacks on Iran. Of these, 24 were on the West side of the Strait and four on the East side. In the last few days, two vessels from each side have managed to sail to safety.
LPG carrier Shivalik reached Mundra in Gujarat on March 16, while another LPG tanker, Nanda Devi, reached Kandla port in Gujarat the next day. Two LPG carriers had started their journey on March 13 and crossed the Strait of Hormuz early on March 14.
Indian-flagged oil tanker Jag Laadki, with 80,886 tonnes of crude oil from the UAE, reached Mundra on March 18. Another tanker, Jag Prakash, carrying gasoline from Oman to Africa, had previously safely crossed the strait and is en route to Tanzania.
Of the 22 remaining Indian-flagged vessels in the war zone, 20 are on the West side of the Strait with 540 seafarers onboard, while two are on the East side.
The vessels stranded on the west side of the strait include five LPG carriers with about 2.3 lakh tonnes of cooking gas, he said, adding another empty vessel has started loading LPG.
Besides, one liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, four crude oil tankers, one transporting chemical products, three container ships, two bulk carriers and three were in dry dock undergoing routine maintenance.
He said that while the LNG ship is chartered by Petronet LNG Ltd, the LPG carriers have been hired by oil marketing companies, primarily Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL). The crude oil tankers have been chartered by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Reliance Industries Ltd and BGN International.
Overall, close to 500 tanker vessels remain confined within the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. These include 108 crude oil tankers, 166 oil product tankers, 104 chemical/product tankers, 52 chemical tankers and 53 other tanker types.
Analysts say Iran may be allowing select vessels to transit the strait after verification. A few vessels have transited outbound through the strait with a short diversion via the Larak-Qeshm Channel.
This, they say, appears to be a verification process whereby Iran confirms the ownership, cargo and vessel are not of the US, or belong to those that Iran has permitted transit to.
India imports about 88 per cent of its crude oil, 50 per cent of natural gas, and 60 per cent of LPG. Before the war broke out, more than half of the crude oil that India imported came from countries like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the UAE, which use the strait for shipping.
As much as 85-95 per cent of LPG and 30 per cent of natural gas came through the strait. While the disruption in crude oil has been partially offset through alternative sources, such as Russia, West Africa, the US and Latin America, gas and LPG supplies to industrial and commercial users have been curtailed.
