In what may come as a relief, Iran said it would allow India to use the Strait of Hormuz, not only clearing the way for 20 Indian-flagged cargo ships stranded to its west to pass through the chokepoint, but also raising hopes that another 18 empty LPG tankers would be able to load cargo through the conflict-affected 52-km strait.According to Iranian state television, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi said: “We allow certain countries that we consider friendly to pass through the (Strait of Hormuz). We allow China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan to transit.” At the same time, he made it clear that ships with ties to Iran’s opponents will not be allowed to pass through the strategic waterway. “The area is a war zone and there is no reason to allow our enemy’s ships … to pass through,” he said.
The Times of India has learned that a dozen India-bound ships west of Hormuz – five of them carrying 230,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas – are waiting to cross the strait to Indian ports. “The smooth passage of all Indian-flagged ships will improve the supply of LPG, LNG and crude oil to India,” said an official closely following the developments.India’s entry into Iran’s list of ‘friendly countries’ comes as a surpriseOnce the ships arrive at Indian ports and unload their cargo, they can be sent out to pick new cargo. The official said, “Few of the 20 Indian-flagged ships in the area are bound not for India but for other ports.” “Officials said the 18 LPG tankers were waiting to enter the strait to receive cooking gas from Gulf countries.Iran’s decision to fly the green flag for ships bound for India marked a diplomatic success for New Delhi, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding two rounds of talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Modi claimed that (Iran’s) blockade of the strait was unacceptable. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar also contacted Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi and made the same request.India’s inclusion in Tehran’s so-called “friendly” group comes as a surprise. Two of the five “friendly countries” mentioned – Russia and China – are considered by Iran to be partners against the United States and Israel. The remaining two are Türkiye and Pakistan, two Islamic countries, with the latter anxiously trying to act as a go-between between the Trump administration and Iran’s leadership.Under normal circumstances, India has about 27-30 LPG tankers per month to meet domestic demand as India relies on imports for 60% of its cooking gas, 85-90% of which comes from Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. To make up for the shortfall, the government is procuring cooking gas from the United States, Argentina, Norway, Canada and Russia, with some cargoes already arriving at Indian ports via other sea routes.Two LPG ships, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, arrived in India last week, while Pine Gas and Jag Vasant are likely to arrive this week.According to Kepler, only 138 ships passed through the energy chokepoint between March 1 and 23, including 87 oil and gas tankers. This means 5-6 ships per day, a 95% reduction in transit volumes since the start of the war. Reports also show that more than 1,900 ships are unable to sail near the Strait of Hormuz.
