Iran-US MoU positive impact on energy, fertilizer flow to India: MEA

“We hope that the remaining Indian-flagged vessels will also be able to cross the Strait of Hormuz soon,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. | Photo credit: Reuters

The signing of a 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Iran and the United States on June 17 had a positive impact on the flow of energy and fertilizers to India, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday (Jun 23, 2026).

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MEA spokesman Randhir Jaiswal told a news conference in New Delhi that there has been two-way traffic of India-specific vessels through the Strait of Hormuz since at least June 17, while officials said a permanent pause in hostilities is necessary to normalize shipping through the key waterway that has faced Iran and the US for three-and-a-half months of stranglehold.

“Since the signing of the MoU on June 17, eleven India-bound vessels have passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The vessels include three Indian-flagged oil tankers, each carrying more than 285,000 MT (metric tons) of crude oil; one foreign-flagged LPG carrier, one foreign-flagged oil tanker marking the Mr. positive fertilizer oil situation in recent days.

“As of today, we have 10 Indian-flagged vessels that are still in the Persian Gulf area. In addition, two have arrived there recently,” Mr. Jaiswal said, further indicating that the 10 ships that remain in the Gulf are part of an international collection of vessels that have been stranded in the Persian Gulf since the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran war.

“We hope that the remaining Indian-flagged vessels will also be able to cross the Strait of Hormuz soon,” Mr Jaiswal added, explaining that the arrival of fertiliser, oil and LPG tankers indicated that maritime flow had been helped by the US-Iran memorandum of understanding. The safety of Indian ships and sailors is among the top priorities of the Indian government as the conflict has raged in the Persian Gulf since February 28.

Published – 23 Jun 2026 22:33 IST