New Delhi: A number of ships in the Strait of Hormuz region have been struck as tensions between Iran and Israel-US alliance continues to mount.
What’s being discussed
Keeping in view the volatile situation, the government is mulling escorting Indian-flagged ships out of the crisis-hit Strait of Hormuz region as maritime traffic through one of the world’s most critical oil routes faces disruptions, a senior maritime regulator told Hindustan Times. The ships are adhering to upgraded safety protocols, including increased frequency of reporting to authorities.
All 36 Indian-flagged vessels which are at present in and around the strait and adjoining waters are safe and have adequate provisions on board, but none has been able to transit the area till now, said PC Meena, deputy director general (crew) at the Directorate General of Shipping, told the news outlet. Meena, who leads the government’s core response team monitoring the situation, added that high-level discussions ongoing and various options being considered to help them safely navigate out of the area, including the option to escort India-flagged vessels out of the region. However, he pointed out that things are yet to be finalised.
As the war escalated, Iran sounded a warning that tankers in the Strait of Hormuz will be attacked. Strait of Hormuz is a narrow maritime corridor that carries around a quarter of the world’s seaborne crude oil trade. Iran’s action is disrupting traffic through this route.
What’s the core group working on
The government’s core group is monitoring the situation. It will submit situational reports after every three hours besides “developments observed and the condition and location of affected seafarers”, as per an order of shipping ministry.
Another official told the news outlet that there have been “no confirmed instances of casualty, detention, or boarding involving any Indian-flagged vessels”. He added that monitoring of the situation and verification continue to the main focus of efforts so that safety is ensured.
A notification of the directorate general of shipping said that the mandatory safety protocols apply to Indian ships not just in the Strait of Hormuz but also in the Gulf of Oman, the Persian Gulf and adjoining sea areas.
As per protocols that came into force around midnight of February 28–March 1, all Indian-flagged vessels should conduct ship-shore security drills adhering to the guidelines issued by the International Maritime Organization. These measures include live communication between ships and nearest port terminals, along with mock drills of threats such as piracy, unauthorised boarding and bomb threats.
The latest protocols also mandate that captains of Indian ships across the region must fill out online ship reporting forms every day to the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region.
The March 2 advisory of the crisis group for shipping companies says that in case Indian merchant ships are in the line of an attack, they must “contact the nearest Indian Navy vessel and coalition warship using VHF Channel 16”.