Missiles above, mines below: How an Indian LPG tanker survived the Hormuz blockade

The Indian-flagged LPG tanker Pine Gas had to wait nearly three weeks for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran started selectively allowing ships through the narrow waterway. The ship loaded cargo at the United Arab Emirates port of Ruwais on February 28, a day before Israeli and US attacks on Iran. Arrival in India was expected within a week, but the journey took much longer.

First Officer Sohan Lal said the 27 Indian crew members on board the ship saw missiles and drones flying overhead every day while waiting. In one video, at least five projectiles can be seen streaking through the night sky above the ship.Indian officials had asked the crew to be on standby to set sail around March 11. But as the conflict escalated, the ship was not allowed to sail until March 23, but was unable to pass through the normal Hormuz waterway.Instead, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) directed the tanker to navigate the narrow channel north of Larak Island off the coast of Iran.“They need the approval or rejection of the entire crew,” Lal said. “Everyone on board agreed.” He added that the IRGC recommended using the Larak route, which is not usually used for shipping, because the regular passage through Hormuz is heavily mined.Lal said indian navy During the transit, Indian warships provided guidance for the ship, and then four Indian warships escorted it, which lasted nearly 20 hours as it sailed from the Gulf of Oman to the Arabian Sea. He added that they did not pay for the voyage and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards were not on board the ship at any time.The Indian Navy confirmed that it was escorting Indian-flagged ships after they crossed the strait. India’s foreign ministry said this month that the Indian navy has been stationed in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea for years to ensure security of sea lanes for Indian and other vessels.India relies heavily on seaborne imports of LPG, which hundreds of millions of households use for cooking. The Pine Gas was carrying 45,000 tons of liquefied petroleum gas and was originally scheduled to unload at the west coast port of Mangalore, but Indian authorities directed it to unload at the eastern ports of Visakhapatnam and Haldia.Iran said it has allowed “friendly countries” such as China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. While six Indian ships have left the strait, 18 Indian-flagged vessels carrying about 485 Indian seafarers remain in the Persian Gulf.