2 Indian-flagged oil tankers pass through Strait of Hormuz; Iran denies taking ransom

NEW DELHI: Two Indian-flagged LPG tankers carrying around 92,600 tonnes of cooking gas crossed the war-hit Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening. The shipping ministry said the two vessels, Jag Vasant and Pine Gas, are likely to arrive at the port between Thursday and Saturday.Since the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iraq war on February 28, four Indian-flagged ships have sailed through the chokepoint affected by the conflict. Last week, LPG tankers Shivalik and Nanda Devi docked at Mundra and Kandla ports in Gujarat. Officials said the government is focused on ensuring safe passage for the remaining 20 Indian-flagged vessels and Indian crews west of the strait.Earlier, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the shipping ministry, said the two ships had started moving but did not disclose their destinations. Ship tracking data shows two tankers sailing between the Iranian islands of Larak and Qeshm, possibly to signal their identity to Iranian authorities before transiting.Sinha said Petronet Ltd has chartered one LNG vessel, while BPCL and HPCL have chartered seven LPG carriers. The crude oil tankers have been chartered by IOC, Reliance Industries and BGN International.Apart from the four Indian ships, the LPG tanker Pyxis Pioneer from the United States also called at the Indian port on Sunday. The arrival of Jag Vasant and Pine Gas will bring the total imported LNG volume to over 290,000 tonnes.Responding to concerns, Sinha said the Indian crew on board the ship did not face shortages of food or water.Overall, nearly 500 oil tankers remain confined to the Persian Gulf. There were reports that Iran was selectively allowing ships to transit, but the Iranian embassy in India dismissed claims of payments as “baseless”.India imports about 88% of its crude oil, 50% of its natural gas and 60% of its LPG, most of which is transported through the strait.