New Delhi has confirmed that two Indian-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in Iran, en route to ports in India's west.
Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said at a news briefing in New Delhi on Saturday that the vessels crossed the strait safely early morning.
The development comes as Tehran has largely halted traffic through the key sea route, which normally carries one-fifth of global oil supplies, since the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran late last month.
Blockade Exception
Iran's ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, said Tehran had allowed some Indian vessels to pass the Strait of Hormuz in a rare exception to the blockade that has disrupted global energy supplies.
Fathali, speaking at a conclave organised by the India Today media group in New Delhi, did not confirm the number of vessels that have been provided safe passage, but noted that India had sought exemptions.
About 20 percent of global oil and seaborne liquefied natural gas is traded through the Strait of Hormuz, and Iran has said it will not permit any supplies for the US or its allies to leave the strait.
Indian Government Response
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said he had spoken to Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian and discussed the transit of goods and energy from the Gulf, as India seeks to address a critical shortage of cooking gas.
Last week, the Indian government invoked emergency powers and directed refiners to maximise production of LPG to prevent a shortage of the cooking fuel, and cut sales to industry to avoid a shortage for its 333 million homes with LPG connections.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said on Saturday that it has barred consumers with piped natural gas connections from retaining, obtaining or refilling domestic LPG cylinders under an amended supply order.
Source: Al Jazeera
