Three Indian-flagged oil tankers clear Strait of Hormuz before closure by Iran
Three Indian-flagged crude oil tankers carrying over 8.6 lakh million tonnes of cargo with 94 crew members from the country have safely crossed the Strait
Three Indian-flagged crude oil tankers carrying over 8.6 lakh million tonnes of cargo with 94 crew members from the country have safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz, Union Minister for Shipping, Sarbananda Sonowal, has said. The three crude oil tankers, Desh Vaibhav, Desh Vibhor, and Sanmar Herald, are expected to arrive in India between June 24 and July 1. Three oil tankers enroute to India While Desh Vaibhav is expected to reach Vadinar Port on June 24, Desh Vibhor is likely to arrive at Sikka Port the same day. Sanmar Herald, the third Indian-flagged oil tanker to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, is scheduled to reach Paradip on July 1. "3 Indian-flagged crude oil tankers, Desh Vaibhav, Desh Vibhor and Sanmar Herald carrying over 8.6 Lakh MT of cargo with 94 Indian crew members have successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz today and are en route to India," Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Sonowal said in a post on X on Saturday.
"Under the decisive leadership of Hon'ble PM Shri @narendramodi ji, GoI is working on highest priority to secure India's maritime interests. Our Ministry is actively coordinating with all relevant agencies to guarantee the absolute safety of Bharat's seafarers and energy lifelines," he added. Iran closes Strait of Hormuz The safe transit of the three India-flagged oil carriers attains significance as Iran has once again closed the Strait of Hormuz. The vital transit route for global oil and natural gas shipping was briefly opened after the US and Iran agreed on a peace deal to end the war that began on February 28. Also Read | Hormuz Reopening Brings Relief for Global Economy However, just before the meeting between negotiators from the United States and Iran was in Switzerland on Sunday, Tehran closed the Strait over Israeli "crimes" in Lebanon, which, according to the Islamic Republic, violates the ceasefire deal.
What Iran said Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, accused the US of failing to implement the first clause of its 14-point interim deal with Iran, which includes a ceasefire "on all fronts", including Lebanon. He said that, as long as the agreement was only on paper, the flow of Middle East energy would remain halted. Iran’s IRGC also warned ships would be at risk if they approached the Strait, a vital conduit for global oil and gas supplies. The United States on Thursday lifted its blockade of Iran, allowing oil tankers to move through the Strait of Hormuz as a tentative agreement to end the war took effect. US response US Central Command said after Iran's announcement that safe passage through the international waterway had "remained intact" and that US forces were "present and vigilant." "Iran does not control the Strait of Hormuz.
The BriefWire