US And Iran At Odds Over Strait Of Hormuz, But Indian Vessels Keep Crossing The Key Waterway: Here's How

(MENAFN- Live Mint) As the US and Iran continue to work towards making a final deal to end the war in the Middle East, India has seen several ships arrive through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial maritime route that has witnessed major disruption to vessel movement.

The arrivals have not only ensured the continued supply of essential resources despite global energy uncertainty but have also drawn appreciation for diplomatic efforts that helped keep Indian shipping operations active in the narrow yet arterial waterway, responsible for transporting nearly a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas supply in pre-war times.

But the question that many ask is: how do Indian ships cross the crucial waterway, of which Tehran is de facto in charge due to its geographical advantage, and through which it has targeted many vessels with warnings to the United States and Israel?

Also Read | Strait of Hormuz, nuclear stockpile: Two sticking points in Iran-US talks Here's how Indian ships cross the tense Strait of Hormuz

According to a Hindustan Times report, at a routine press briefing, the shipping ministry on Friday shared some details of the efforts and the coordination between India, Iran, and the parties involved regarding the movement of the ships.

Opesh Kumar Sharma, director of shipping at the Ministry of Ports, at the inter-ministerial briefing, said, "In terms of how we coordinate with India, Iran, how do we decide the priority, I would not like to, you know, tell you how we coordinate for obvious reasons. So we coordinate through MEA, and that is where we are."

In terms of priority, he added that it is decided in coordination with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MOPNG), the Ministry of Fertilizers, and thereafter the coordinated priorities are prepared, through which they try to get the ships out.

Commenting on whether the availability of ship data in the public domain hampers the movement of vessels, Sharma said, "It's very difficult to answer that. Any data which is in the public domain can be used either way by the person. It depends on his intention. But as of now, the data is helping us and you also to track the ships.”

The official also noted that there are 13 Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz: one is an LPG tanker, five are crude oil tankers, one is a chemical or product tanker, three are container ships, two are bulk carriers, and there is one dredger.

Also Read | Iran Targets Indian-Flagged Ships In Hormuz, New Delhi Summons Envoy Iran continues chokehold on Strait of Hormuz

The movement of ships via the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively shut since the US and Israel launched attacks against Iran in late February, killing its top leaders, including the Supreme Leader. In retaliation, Tehran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC ) shut the movement of ships through the waterway.

Despite a shaky ceasefire being in place since 8 April, the Islamic Republic has not yet reopened the Strait for commercial vessels, which continues to be one of the key sticking points in negotiations between Washington and Tehran. Earlier this week, US President Donald Trump held a White House Cabinet meeting, during which he reiterated that no one nation would control the waterway, adding that the US would monitor the Strait of Hormuz. However, the future of this arterial waterway continues to be a major obstacle, with looming fears that the global economy could likely see further strain as pre-war oil reserves diminish.

Despite tensions, New Delhi has maintained steady maritime traffic via the Strait, with several Indian-linked vessels transiting the critical chokepoint.

The vessels that have transited the risky waterway, located between Iran and Oman, include Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Jag Laadki, Pine Gas, Jag Vasant, BW Tyr, BW Elm, and Green Sanvi.

India is among the countries with the highest number of vessels passing through the Strait.

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