Cargo ships in the Persian Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam government. File photo for representational purposes only. | Photo credit: Reuters
The Green Asha liquefied petroleum gas tanker transited the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday (April 5, 2026). The Indian-flagged vessel is carrying 15,400 tonnes of LPG.
Green Asha is the eighth Indian-flagged LPG carrier to leave the strait, which has been virtually closed by Iran since the US and Israel attacked the country on February 28, triggering a global oil crisis. Before the war, India imported almost 90% of its LPG through the strait.
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According to marinetraffic.com, the tanker left Al Rams port in the United Arab Emirates on March 30, traveling at a speed of 12.8 knots (23.7 km per hour). She sailed close to the Iranian coast and passed between the islands of Larak, Hormuz and Qeshm.
Green Asha is owned by MOL India Private Limited. According to sources, the ship was chartered by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and was originally meant for the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai.
On Saturday, the government said the Green Sanvi, carrying 46,650 tonnes of LPG with 25 sailors on board, had passed through the strait.
Another LPG tanker, the Jag Vikram carrying about 20,000 tonnes of LPG, got stuck in the Persian Gulf.
On March 19, The Hind reported that the government had identified 22 India-bound vessels in the Persian Gulf for evacuation through the Strait of Hormuz. Of these, 20 vessels were critical to India’s energy needs.
Waiting for safe passage through the strait are three other foreign-flagged vessels carrying a cumulative 87,000 tons of LPG.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said 17 Indian-flagged vessels with 460 Indian sailors on board remained in the western Persian Gulf region. The government said that “DG Shipping in coordination with ship owners, RPSL agencies and Indian Missions is actively monitoring the situation”.
The shipping ministry has taken steps to “protect Indian vessels and seafarers operating in the region” and all Indian seafarers stranded in the conflict zone are safe as no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours, the government said.
A government statement said “345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran have returned home”, with the Indian embassy in Tehran facilitating their movement from southern Iran to Armenia, from where they flew to Chennai.
Published – 05 Apr 2026 23:12 IST
