Iran has allowed Indian-flagged vessels to pass through the Strait of Hormuz following diplomatic talks between New Delhi and Tehran on the back channel — although the waterway remains effectively closed to ships linked to the United States, Europe and Israel, according to several media reports.
The Indian-flagged tankers Pushpak and Parimal have safely passed through the Strait of Hormuz, News18 reported citing people familiar with the matter.
The first crude tanker arrived in Mumbai since the start of the Iran war
The most significant development, first reported by the Hindustan Times, involves a Liberian-flagged ship that has now docked at Mumbai port – the first Indian-bound tanker to complete passage through the strait since hostilities broke out.
Read also | The escalation of the Hormuz crisis raises the specter of a long-term closure
The Shenlong, a Suezmax-class tanker, loaded oil at the Saudi port of Ras Tanura on March 1 and departed two days later. Its last recorded position in the strait was on March 8, according to maritime intelligence firms Lloyd’s List Intelligence and TankerTrackers, before it went dark – turning off its transponders and automatic identification system to avoid detection while sailing in contested waters. It reappeared in the tracking databases on March 9.
The vessel arrived at the Mumbai port at 1 pm on Wednesday and docked in the early evening.
“The Shenlong is carrying 1,35,335 metric tonnes of crude oil. It is anchored at Jawahar Dweep and has started unloading its crude cargo,” Praveen Singh, deputy conservator of the Mumbai Port Authority, told Hindustan Times. The cargo is destined for refineries at Mahul in East Mumbai.
Read also | Oil prices jumped to $100 after Oman cleared an oil terminal. Can they climb to $130?
“There are 29 Indian, Pakistani and Filipino crew members on board, while the ship’s captain is Sukshant Singh Sandhu. The ship will take nearly 36 hours to unload the cargo,” HT quoted Jitendra Jadhav of Atlantic Global Shipping, which handles the Shenlong operations in Mumbai.
The tanker is owned by Shenlong Shipping Ltd and managed by Athens-based Dynacom Tanker Management Ltd, the HT report added.
Why could Iran make an exception for India?
Safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for Indian vessels was a central issue when External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi late on Tuesday – their third conversation since the start of the Iran-US war.
On Wednesday, Jaishankar also held talks with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas to discuss the implications of the conflict for global energy markets and security.
Read also | US did not escort tanker through Hormuz, Wright Post refutes
“Good teleconference with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov of Russia. We shared our assessment of the conflict in West Asia and related efforts. We also reviewed our bilateral cooperation agenda,” Jaishankar wrote on X.
Iran’s calculation of allowing Indian-flagged vessels to pass through while blocking shipping linked to the West appears partly self-serving. Shipping analysts note that Tehran has an incentive to keep the waterway at least partially operational as long as its own oil exports continue.
Data reviewed by Reuters indicated that Iranian oil shipments through the strait continued at near-normal volumes, with TankerTrackers.com estimating that Iran had exported about 13.7 million barrels of oil since the war began on February 28.
Dozens of Indian vessels are still stuck in the Strait of Hormuz
Despite Shenlong’s safe arrival, the bigger picture of Indian shipping remains uncertain. According to India’s Directorate General of Shipping, 28 Indian-flagged vessels remain in or near the strait.
Read also | Iran offers Hormuz passage to Europe and the Arab states. But there is a catch
In recent days, seven – Desh Mahima, Desh Abhiman, Swarna Kamal, Vishva Prerna, Jag Viraat, Jag Lokesh and LNGC Aseem have moved to the relative safety of the Arabian Sea, while Jag Lakshya is proceeding towards Angola. Hindustan Times.
Many vessels have resorted to deactivating AIS transponders or adopting Chinese vessel identities amid widespread signal spoofing and jamming in the region, the HT report added.
“There is no official government restriction on Indian-flagged vessels sailing out of the strait. However, they are required to assess threats and have adequate situational awareness if they decide to sail,” a government official said, according to media reports.
An attack on an India-bound vessel raises the alarm
Even as diplomatic channels showed signs of progress, a Thai-flagged bulk carrier bound for India came under attack in the strait, setting part of the vessel on fire and triggering an emergency rescue operation.
The Mayuree Naree, a 178-meter vessel owned by Bangkok-listed Precious Shipping Pcl, had left Khalifa Port in the United Arab Emirates and was heading to Kandla, Gujarat, when it was hit by an unidentified projectile.
Read also | Trump threatens to hit Iran “20 times harder” if the flow of oil from Hormuz is blocked
India’s Ministry of External Affairs strongly condemned. “India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is becoming the target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia,” the ministry said, adding that “the intensity and lethality of attacks appear to be increasing.”
Energy security hangs in the balance
The stakes for India are high. More than half of the country’s oil and gas reserves routinely pass through the Strait of Hormuz, so safe transit is not just a diplomatic abstraction, but an immediate economic imperative. The Shenlong’s safe arrival will offer some relief to policymakers, but with dozens of vessels still in uncertain waters and attacks on commercial shipping continuing, India’s energy supply chain remains deeply exposed to a conflict it had no hand in starting.
