A senior government official announced on Thursday that India is currently seeking to ensure the safe return of its vessels stranded in the Gulf before sending any further shipments to the region for fuel loading operations, according to Reuters.
Stranded Vessels
“Our priority is to get all our ships out of the Strait of Hormuz,” said Mukesh Mangal, additional secretary at India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
Mangal also stated that India will deploy vessels west of the Strait once conditions are become conducive.
He further noted that India’s Shipping Ministry is closely coordinating with the Foreign Ministry, with a final decision on resuming vessel deployments to be made only after all stranded ships have safely returned.
Thirteen vessels flying the Indian flag, as well as one Indian-owned ship, remain stranded on the western side of the strait.
Meanwhile, 13 energy-laden vessels, primarily carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), have so far successfully transited out of the strait following its closure amid the ongoing conflict.
Iran War
On February 28, the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and triggering a new conflict in the Middle East.
Iran has been responding with a retaliatory counterattack in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
The conflict has spread across the Middle East, leaving thousands dead, triggering unprecedented disruptions to energy supplies especially after the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The adversaries remain locked in a standoff over the Strait of Hormuz, as Iran tightens its control over maritime traffic while the United States continues to enforce a blockade on Iranian ports.
As a result, India confronts one of its most severe disruptions to cooking gas supplies in decades, as the conflict has suspended the shipments through the strait.
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