As the West Asia conflicts affect oil fuel ships, including those coming to India, Delhi is in discussion with Iran to allow fuel ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz, which is closed by the Iranian military. The restrictions have affected India significantly; the country is facing serious problems in importing LPG.
India imports approximately 60% of the LPG it uses, and out of these imports, 90% comes from West Asia through the Strait of Hormuz. As the route is closed, nearly 55% of India’s total LPG supply is being affected.
“External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Foreign Minister of Iran Seyed Abbas Araghchi have had three conversations in the last few days. The last one discussed issues pertaining to the safety of shipping and India’s energy security. Beyond that, it would be premature for me to say anything,” Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs, said Thursday.
“The world has not faced a moment like this in modern energy history…India’s crude supply position is secure, and the volume secured exceeds what the Hormuz would have delivered. Before the crisis, approximately 45 percent of India’s crude imports transited through the Strait of Hormuz route. Thanks to the Prime Minister’s outstanding diplomatic outreach and goodwill, India has secured crude volumes that exceed what the disrupted Strait of Hormuz could have delivered in the same period,” Energy Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said in Parliament on Thursday.
Earlier, in addition to this, an Indian crew member on a US-owned oil tanker was killed after the vessel was struck in waters near Basra, making him the third Indian seafarer to lose his life in the ongoing war.
A Thai-flagged cargo vessel was hit in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after departing from the United Arab Emirates ahead of the continued regional tensions in one of the world’s most important shipping straits. The attack led to the disappearance of three people and injuries to other members.
The ship, Mayuree Naree, a 30,000-ton bulk carrier owned by Precious Shipping PCL, was sailing towards India when it was attacked. As said by Thai navy spokesman Paraj Ratanajaipan, the Omani navy rescued 20 crew members, who abandoned ship and evacuated in a lifeboat.
Following the attack, Iranian military authorities later acknowledged that the ship was attacked by fighters from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), making it the first direct attack on a merchant vessel since the tensions have escalated since February 28.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said that if the attacks continue on Iran, they would not allow “one liter of oil” to be shipped from West Asia to the US, Israel, or any country associated with them as a partner. Efforts are underway to recover the remaining crew members from the vessel, and the attack is under investigation.
Precious Shipping, operating 41 vessels under Thai, Singaporean, and Panamanian flags, said it is working with authorities to repatriate the crew members evacuated to Oman back to Thailand.
