2 merchant ships with petroleum products for India crossing Strait of Hormuz, more expected to follow: Sources

NEW DELHI: Two more merchant vessels carrying petroleum products for India are crossing Strait of Hormuz. Indian Navy warships are on standby to provide support to them, sources said. More vessels are expected to follow soon, the sources added.

Earlier, Speaking at a joint inter-ministerial briefing, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Rajesh Kumar Sinha said authorities are closely monitoring the situation and maintaining coordination with various stakeholders. “In the Gulf region, there has been no information in the last 24 hours regarding any incident involving Indian-flagged ships or Indian seafarers. All are safe,” Sinha said.

He added that Indian ships operating in the Persian Gulf are also safe. “In the Persian Gulf, there are 20 ships sailing under the Indian flag, with around 540 Indians onboard, and they are also safe,” he said.

Sinha further said the Directorate General of Shipping has been actively responding to queries and concerns through its communication centre. “In the last 24 hours, the DG Shipping communication centre, which operates 24 hours a day, received 98 calls and 335 emails, all of which were responded to,” he said.

On Friday, India reiterated its urgent call for the preservation of safe and uninterrupted maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz, emphasising that international law must be upheld amidst the deteriorating security situation in West Asia. The government confirmed it is maintaining a vigilant watch over regional volatilities to protect national energy interests.

During the weekly media briefing, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated that New Delhi is actively coordinating with global partners to ensure stability. “We are closely following all developments in West Asia. We continue to call for ensuring safe and free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as a matter of priority,” Jaiswal noted.

Providing a significant update on maritime safety, the spokesperson revealed that four Indian-bound vessels transporting liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) successfully navigated the strategic chokepoint. (ANI)