India is in touch with Iranian authorities to arrange the safe passage of almost 22 Indian-flagged merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, which has effectively been closed by the Iranian forces because of the conflict with Israel and the US.
Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary, ministry of ports, shipping & waterways, told Monday in a briefing that Indian authorities are closely monitoring 22 Indian-flagged vessels with Indian seafarers currently located to the west of the Strait of Hormuz.
These ships have 611 Indian seafarers onboard, and the government remains in constant communication with each vessel and its crew.
“All Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf area are safe. No incident has been reported in the last 24 hours, and we are keeping a continuous watch on the situation,” Sinha said, adding that, “We are in touch with each vessel and its crew. 22 Indian-flagged vessels, as was reported on Saturday, with 611 Indian seafarers remain in the west of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf.”
Two Indian-flag LPG carriers crossed the Strait of Hormuz on March 14 carrying about 92,712 MT of LPG.
Reports had indicated that the first LPG carrier, which sailed from the Persian Gulf, crossed the Strait of Hormuz and headed towards India.
The vessel successfully crossed the strategically important Strait of Hormuz, a major global shipping route currently under close monitoring due to rising tensions in the region. Officials said all necessary arrangements have been made at the port to ensure that there is no delay in the discharge of cargo.
Government officials emphasised that the arrangements were made in advance so that there would be no disruption or delay in handling the shipment.
These preparations are aimed at ensuring that the cargo is discharged quickly and efficiently once the vessel reaches the port.
The second LPG carrier is expected to reach an India port early today morning.
Another Indian-flagged ship, carrying crude oil, sailed from the UAE on March 14 and is safely enroute to India. The vessel and all Indian seafarers onboard are reported safe.
Since activation of the DG Shipping Control Room, 3,030 phone calls and about 5,497 emails have been handled from seafarers, their families and maritime stakeholders seeking assistance, including over 310 calls and 597 emails in the past 48 hours.
DG Shipping has facilitated the safe repatriation of 286 Indian seafarers from the Gulf region so far, including 33 repatriations in the past 48 hours, the ministry of petroleum & natural gas said on Monday.
Authorities said they will continue to monitor developments and ensure the safety of Indian vessels and maritime personnel in the region.
The Directorate General of Shipping continues to monitor the situation in coordination with ship owners, RPSL agencies and Indian Missions.
“External affairs minister and the foreign minister of Iran have had three conversations in recent days. The last one discussed issues pertaining to safety of shipping and India’s energy security. Beyond that, it would be premature for me to say anything,” India’s external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly media briefing.
Iran’s foreign ministry said in a statement on the March 11 phone call between Jaishankar and Araghchi that the two sides had discussed the “consequences” of the war on the security of shipping and vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
“Referring to Iran’s principled approach to safeguarding shipping security in the Persian Gulf, [Araghchi] reminded that the insecure situation and problems arising for shipping in the Persian Gulf are a result of the aggressive and destabilising actions of the United States, and the international community must hold the US accountable for this situation,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, authorities in India said LPG supply continues to be monitored in view of the prevailing geopolitical situation.
