Iran hands Hormuz pass to India, Pak, Russia, China, Iraq | India News
In what could be a major relief, Iran said it would allow India to use the Strait of Hormuz, clearing the way for only 20 Indian-flagged cargo ships stranded to its west to pass through the choke point, but raised hopes that 18 more empty LPG tankers could pass through the conflict-torn 52 km car load.“We consider some countries friendly to pass through (the Strait of Hormuz). We have allowed transit to China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Aragchi was quoted as saying on Iranian state TV. At the same time, he made it clear that ships associated with Iran’s adversaries will not be allowed to transit through strategic waterways. “This area is a war zone, and there is no reason to allow our enemy’s ships… to pass through it,” he said.
TOI has learned that a dozen India-bound vessels west of Hormuz – including five laden with 2.3 lakh tonnes of LPG – are waiting to cross the strait to Indian ports. “The smooth passage of all Indian-flagged vessels will improve the availability of LPG, LNG and crude products in India,” said an official closely monitoring the developments.India tops Iran’s list of ‘friendly countries’Once these ships reach Indian ports and unload, they can be sent to pick up new shipments,” the official said. “Some of the 20 Indian-flagged ships in the region are not bound for India, but for other ports,” the official added.18 LPG tankers are waiting to enter the strait to pick up cooking gas from Gulf countries, officials said.Iran’s decision to send green-flagged ships to India marks a breakthrough for New Delhi’s diplomacy, with Prime Minister Modi holding two rounds of talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezheshkian. Modi emphasized that the blockade (by Iran) of the strait is unacceptable. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also approached his Iranian counterpart Araghchi with the same request.India’s inclusion in what Tehran calls a “friendly” group is surprising. Two of the five “friendly countries” mentioned – Russia and China – see Iran as a partner in the fight against the US and Israel. The other two are the Islamic countries of Turkey and Pakistan, the latter anxiously trying to mediate between the Trump administration and Iran’s leadership.India, in normal times, receives about 27-30 LPG tankers per month to meet domestic requirements as it imports 60% of its cooking gas, of which 85-90% is sourced from Gulf countries including Saudi Arabia and the UAE. To meet the shortfall, the government is procuring cooking gas from the US, Argentina, Norway, Canada and Russia and some cargoes have already reached Indian ports through other sea routes.Two LPG ships – Shivalik and Nanda Devi – arrived in India last week, while Pine Gas and Jag Vasantha are likely to arrive this week.According to Kepler, only 138 vessels crossed the energy choke point between March 1 and 23, including 87 oil and gas tankers. This translates to 5-6 ships a day, a 95% reduction in crossings since the start of the war. The report also states that more than 1,900 ships are unable to navigate around the Strait of Hormuz.
