New Delhi: Five LPG tankers carrying nearly 230,000 tonnes of cooking gas are located in the western Strait of Hormuz and another tanker will be loaded in the coming days, the government said on Tuesday. The two vessels, Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, are said to be arriving at New Mangalore and Kandla ports this week, while it was clarified that “permission is not required” for ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.Responding to a question on whether ships need permission from Iranian authorities to cross the strait, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary of the Iranian Ministry of Shipping, said, “This is an international strait. Every country has the right to freedom of navigation through the strait. No permission is required (to cross it). No permission was required earlier. It is not required now either.”International regulations do not allow taxes on ships passing through the strait, he said. However, Sinha said given the current situation, the safety and appropriate timing of the operation must be assessed.According to the shipping ministry, there are still 20 Indian-flagged ships west of Hormuz.
