Tehran: Amid Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s two-day visit to India for the BRICS Summit, two India-bound LPG tanks crossed the Strait of Hormuz in last 24 hours, the ship tracking data indicated. The two ships are foreign-flagged.
Both ships on their way to Kandla port
As per reports, two ships- Marshall Islands-flagged Symi and Vietnam-flagged NV Sunshine -are the first India-bound LPG tankers to pass through the waterway in nearly two weeks. Both ships are on their way to Gujarat’s Kandla port. Notably, while Symi is carrying LPG from Qatar, the other ship is carrying fuel from the UAE.
Notably, ever since the Middle East conflicts started leading to closure of Strait of Hormuz, India has been constantly in touch with Iran on diplomatic fronts, for safe transit of the Indian vessels or those on way to India.
Even as several ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz ever since March, transits of Indian and India-bound ships were halted after the April 18 incident in which two Indian ships were fired upon. Earlier, Iran had closed the waterway amid escalations with the US. Washington, in response, said that ships that pay a toll to Iran to transit through the Strait.
Indian MSV came under attack on Wednesday
On Wednesday, Haji Ali, an Indian mechanised sailing vessel (MSV), came under attack during its voyage from Somalia to Sharjah in the Omani waters. The incident led to a fire onboard the ship and its sinking.
“All 14 crew members onboard (Haji Ali) were safely rescued by the Omani Coast Guard and have reached Dibba Port in Oman. The crew is reported to be safe, and necessary formalities with the local authorities have been completed,” Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, said at a news briefing.