New Delhi: Reports suggest that Iran and the United States will return to the negotiating table after weeks of stalemate to try to end the war that has affected ship transit in the Strait of Hormuz, with officials saying an early resolution to the conflict would come as a huge relief to more than 40 India-bound ships and a large number of Indian sailors stuck in the Persian Gulf for more than two months. The vessels carry cargoes such as liquefied petroleum gas and liquefied natural gas, as well as crude oil and fertilizers. The government says 13 Indian-flagged ships remain in the Persian Gulf. Several foreign-flagged ships carrying cargo bound for India were also stuck west of Hormuz. The government has drawn up a priority list of ships for evacuation, which includes 41 ships, 18 of which are carrying energy products, another 16 carrying fertilizers and the remaining seven carrying other items. There is an urgent need to evacuate these vessels for energy security and to meet the demand for fertilizers required for sowing kharif crops. Officials said that while efforts are underway to persuade shipping lines to return ships to the Persian Gulf and a list of more than 22 such energy ships has been drawn up and shared with relevant agencies, no action will be taken until the strait is opened to commercial traffic. On April 30, the Times of India reported that the Union Shipping Ministry had shared a list of “priority ships” heading to India with the Ministry of External Affairs and recommended evacuating through Oman’s territorial waters. “It’s not just us, every country affected by the lockdown is waiting and hoping for an early resolution,” an official said.
