India received several ships through the Strait of Hormuz — the main sea route largely closed to ship traffic due to the US-Iran war — bringing not only essential resources to the country amid global energy turmoil, but also a tribute to diplomatic efforts aimed at keeping India moving in the troubled waterway.
Although the temporary ceasefire on April 9 stopped active fighting, it did not lead to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz – the strategic waterway that normally handles about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. The future of the Strait of Hormuz remains one of the main hurdles in negotiations, with fears growing that the global economy could face further pressure as pre-war oil reserves dwindle.
A lot is going on behind the scenes for the Indian ships to cross the critical zone which Iran de facto controls due to its geographical advantage and many ships have been targeted in a warning to the US and Israel.
How do Indian ships cross the dangerous Strait of Hormuz?
Asked at a routine press conference about coordination between India, Iran and concerned parties regarding ship movement and which ships get priority, the shipping ministry on Friday shared details of the efforts while keeping some information private for security reasons.
“In terms of how we coordinate with India and Iran, how we decide priority, I would not like to tell you how we coordinate for obvious reasons. So we are coordinating through MEA, that is where we are,” Upesh Kumar Sharma, director of shipping at the Ministry of Ports, said at the joint ministerial briefing on Friday.
He added that in terms of priority, it is determined in coordination with MOPNG [Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas]Ministry of Fertilizers, and then the priorities are coordinated through which we try to get the ships out.
Does tracking ship data hinder movement?
Sharma informed that there are about 13 ships flying the Indian flag in the Strait of Hormuz – one is an LPG tanker, five are crude oil tankers, one is a chemical or products tanker, there are three container ships, there are two bulk carriers, and there is one dredger.
“In terms of tracking ship data, these are commercial applications. I think people can sign up for it and it’s open to everyone,” he added.
Answer whether the availability of ship data in the public domain hinders ship movement. “It is very difficult to answer that. Any public data can be used in either direction by a person. It depends on their intention. But so far, the data is helping us and it is also helping you track the ships,” Sharma said.
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has mostly halted due to Iranian retaliation for the February 28 US-Israeli strikes on Iran that led to a full-scale war between the two sides.
India has maintained steady naval traffic through the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing tensions in the region, with several India-linked ships crossing the critical choke point since February 28.
Ships that crossed the perilous waterway between Iran and Oman include Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Jag Ladki, Pine Gas, Jag Vasant, PW Sur, PW Elm and Green Sanvi.
India is among the countries with the largest number of ships passing through the strait.
