Middle East crisis: Two India-bound LPG tankers transit Strait of Hormuz

Two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers, BW Elm and BW Tyr, are currently transiting the Strait of Hormuz en route to India, Reuters reported, citing ship tracking data from LSEG and Kpler, indicating a cautious resumption of navigation in the strategic waterway. Due to the ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran, shipping in the Strait has been severely disrupted. However, Tehran said earlier this week that “non-hostile vessels” could pass through the corridor if coordinated with Iranian authorities. Data shows that two Indian-flagged ships have passed through the Gulf and are currently located in the eastern section of the strait. Their actions come as India steps up efforts to evacuate stranded LPG cargoes from the region. So far, four tankers – Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Pine Gas and Jag Vasant – have been removed. Despite these efforts, several Indian ships got stuck. Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary at the Ministry of Shipping, said that as of Friday, 20 Indian-flagged vessels, including five LPG carriers, were still stranded in the Gulf. Other carriers such as Jag Vikram, Green Asha and Green Sanvi remain stationed in the western Strait of Hormuz, LSEG data shows. The outage has raised concerns about India’s energy supplies. India consumed 33.15 million tonnes of LPG last year, with imports meeting about 60% of demand. Nearly 90% of imported products come from the Middle East.