Amid ongoing tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway through which nearly a fifth of the world’s oil passes, the Iranian navy fired on two Indian-flagged tankers north of Oman. New Delhi strongly protested the incident and summoned the Iranian ambassador to India to express its dissatisfaction.
The incident raised major concerns about maritime security as the attack on Indian tankers occurred despite Tehran saying that countries that do not support the US-Israeli conflict against Iran will not be targeted. These concerns also raise alarm about the global energy crisis, which India has also witnessed.
What happened in the Strait of Hormuz?
Two Indian tankers, Jag Arnav and Sanmar Herald, came under direct fire from the Iranian Navy shortly after reports emerged of Indian ships being forced to turn back from the Strait of Hormuz.
Jag Arnav, an Indian-flagged cargo carrier, was traveling from the city of Al-Jabbai in Saudi Arabia to India. Meanwhile, the Sanmar Herald ship was carrying about two million barrels of Iraqi oil on its way to India.
HT newspaper reported earlier that New Delhi had lodged a strong protest with Iran over the incident and summoned the Iranian ambassador to India to find out the reasons for his dismissal.
The Iranian envoy, Dr. Mohammad Fathali, met with the Joint Secretary of the Pakistan-Afghan-Iranian Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The ministry said in a statement that the Iranian ambassador pledged to convey New Delhi’s views to the Iranian authorities.
India’s oil imports
India imports more than 85 percent of its crude oil needs – most of it from the Gulf region – making it the third largest oil importer in the world. Most of the oil coming from the Gulf passes through the Strait of Hormuz to reach India.
Earlier this month, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh asserted that India has sufficient stocks of petrol, diesel and cooking gas to deal with any crisis amid the ongoing US-Iran conflict, and urged people not to pay attention to rumors about shortages.
“We have petrol, diesel, cooking gas – all of that is available, and we have adequate reserves. The government is constantly working to ensure that no crisis emerges even after two to three months,” he said at an event in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Last month, the Petroleum Ministry also said that India has nearly 60 days of actual fuel stock, confirming that there is no shortage of petrol, diesel or LOG anywhere in the country.
The ministry said that all of the more than 100,000 retail fuel outlets were operating without interruption, and that no outlet had been asked to ration supplies. It also said that India is currently receiving more oil from more than 41 of its suppliers than it previously arrived through the Strait of Hormuz, according to an earlier HT report.
“There is approximately two months of steady supply available to every Indian citizen, regardless of what happens globally. The quantity in the strategic stockpile becomes secondary in such a supply situation. Therefore, any representation that India’s reserves are depleted or inadequate must be rejected with the disdain it deserves,” the ministry said.
8 Indian oil tankers pass through Hormuz amid congestion
Despite the large-scale war in West Asia, India has maintained steady naval traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with eight India-linked ships safely passing through the vital waterway since February 28.
The ships include Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Jag Laadki, Pine Gas, Jag Vasant, BW Tyr, BW Elm and Green Sanvi, helping with energy security and related concerns in India.
Does India have a backup plan?
If the re-closure of the Strait of Hormuz wasn’t stressful enough, the recent shooting of two Indian tankers in the vital waterway has also raised maritime and energy concerns.
However, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal last week confirmed that India “continues to procure oil from diverse sources”, keeping in mind the needs of energy security and current international markets.
“…We continue to purchase oil from various sources, taking into account the energy security needs of 1.4 billion people, the current situation in the international market, and the global situation that we have to deal with,” he said during an inter-ministerial press conference on recent developments in West Asia.
Jaiswal also said that India is in discussions with several countries regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
