Iran has allowed two Indian-flagged LPG tankers to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, a development expected to ease India’s cooking gas crisis, Iranian officials said on Friday.
“The ships have been allowed to move through the Strait of Hormuz,” said a person who requested anonymity without providing details.
The move came hours after phone talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian – the first since the start of the Iran-US conflict – and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araqchi.
Modi said he discussed “the safety and security of Indian citizens” and “the need for uninterrupted flow of goods and energy” with Pezeshkian, describing them as India’s top priorities.
Earlier on Friday, Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Fateh Ali indicated that Indian ships would be given safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, an important shipping route that transports nearly 50% of India’s oil imports.
“We believe that Iran and India are friends. We have common interests and we have a common destiny,” Fath Ali told reporters when asked if Indian ships would be allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Government of India, in this post-war situation, has helped us in various areas,” he said, adding that positive developments regarding transit through the vital waterway were expected within “two or three hours.”
People familiar with the matter said that the Indian side is still in contact with Iran regarding the safe passage of about twenty Indian-flagged ships currently located west of the Strait of Hormuz.
In a separate development, a crude tanker is expected to arrive in India on Saturday, carrying Saudi oil after sailing through the strait, the people said.
