Eleven commercial ships carrying crude oil, gas and fertilizers to India have crossed the Strait of Hormuz and two more ships have sailed from the country towards the Persian Gulf since Iran and the United States reached a de-escalation agreement last week, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Tuesday.
The movement of commercial ships in both directions indicates an easing of restrictions on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and New Delhi hopes that 10 Indian-flagged ships detained west of the vital waterway due to the outbreak of hostilities in February will now be able to move towards the country, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal said at a regular press conference.
Iran and the United States signed a 14-point memorandum of understanding on June 17 outlining steps for de-escalation in West Asia and laying the foundation for further negotiations. Since the beginning of the Iran-US conflict on February 28, India has pushed for freedom of navigation and the unhindered flow of energy and trade through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed by Iranian authorities.
Jaiswal responded to a question about the current status of the vital waterway by saying: “As of today, we have 10 Indian-flagged ships that are still in the Persian Gulf region. These are the ones that were stuck when the conflict started. But in addition to those 10 ships, we have two Indian ships that have crossed from this side into the Persian Gulf, which means the traffic is going back and forth.”
Jaiswal said that since the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States on June 17, 11 ships bound for India have crossed the Strait of Hormuz. These vessels include three Indian-flagged oil tankers, each carrying 285,000 metric tons of crude oil, one foreign-flagged crude oil tanker, one foreign-flagged LPG tanker, and six foreign-flagged bulk carriers carrying fertilisers.
“We expect and hope that the remaining Indian-flagged vessels… will also be able to cross the border [Strait of] “Hormuz soon,” Jaiswal said.
When asked about the possibility of India resuming purchases of Iranian oil amid the easing of US sanctions, Jaiswal said that New Delhi is closely monitoring all developments in West Asia.
“With regard to our energy sources, you are well aware of our policy – that it is based on the national interest. The interests of 1.4 billion people, to have access to energy at affordable prices and from diverse sources, is our policy,” he said, without going into details.
Iran was a major energy exporter to India before US President Donald Trump imposed sanctions on Tehran in 2019. With the world’s third-largest proven oil reserves, Iran used to be the second-largest oil supplier to India until around 2010. In fiscal year 2009-10, India purchased 22.1 million tons of Iranian crude, constituting 14% of the country’s total imports.
After the United States announced a 30-day exemption from its sanctions in March, India imported some oil from it in April. People familiar with the matter said that India is closely following the ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States and the arrangements that the two sides will finalize in order to explore the possibility of oil imports from Iran.
Iranian leaders have repeatedly said that Tehran is ready to resume oil supplies to India. They also pointed out that when India came under Western sanctions following its nuclear tests in 1998, Iran was among the few countries that did not halt oil supplies to India.
India imports nearly 90% of its oil needs, and bought $123 billion worth of oil in fiscal 2026. Russia currently accounts for the highest share of India’s crude oil imports, at about 50% in June, while major traditional suppliers such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the UAE now have a smaller share. The United States has emerged as a major supplier in recent months as India diversifies its energy imports.
