NEW DELHI: The Strait of Hormuz is still technically open, but commercial shipping is far from normal, according to Anil Devli, CEO of the Mumbai-based Indian National Shipowners Association.
Diffley said that with 14 Indian ships trapped in this strait and with Indian ships earlier being hit by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, there is bound to be some feeling of hesitation among sailors. “Technically, Hormuz is open. Ships are passing through, but for commercial traffic, the risks are still huge,” Diffle told TOI. “We understand that some ships flying the neutral flag are passing through with tacit Iranian permission or American protection,” Diffley said, but “normal traffic” has been halted.
Ships that move do so on borrowed time and borrowed trust. When the first Indian ship went out, then the second, then the sixth, the seventh, and the eighth, confidence was growing. Subsequently, two Indian-flagged ships came under fire on April 18 by IRGC boats: the VLCC Sanmar Herald and the bulk carrier Jag Arnav.
An audio clip of the Sanmar Herald radio call was captured: “Sepah Navy! You have given the clearance – I am second on your list. You are shooting now! Let me turn back!” This incident prompted India to raise the matter with the Iranian ambassador regarding the safety of its sailors, but trust among Indian sailors – already fragile – collapsed.
“You let me have yours,” the captain was heard on the radio telling the Iranians. This tells you the level of uncertainty that sailors deal with on ships crossing the strait. During the height of hostilities last month, supplies, food deliveries and essential services for Indian sailors and crew members were disrupted. That situation has since stabilized, Diffley said. India has so far facilitated the movement of eight LPG vessels.
