NEW DELHI, March 18. /TASS/. Six Indian-flagged ships carrying 300,000 tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG) imported from the Middle East have been blocked from entering the Arabian Sea through the Strait of Hormuz, India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways reported.
A total of 22 Indian vessels carrying oil, LNG, chemicals, and petroleum products are stuck in the Strait of Hormuz. Since the start of the conflict between Israel and the United States with Iran, nearly 98,000 tons of LNG, as well as over 80,000 tons of oil from the United Arab Emirates, have been delivered to India through the Strait of Hormuz by two vessels.
As Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, told The Economic Times, LNG supplies arouse concerns. Due to disruptions in imports, the government has advised companies to seek alternative fuel sources. India has ample oil reserves, and its refineries are currently operating at full capacity.
Earlier, the Indian Navy deployed three ships to the Strait of Hormuz and the northern Arabian Sea to escort ships along vulnerable sections of the route.
On February 28, the US and Israel launched a military operation against Iran. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were hit. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC, the elite unit of the Iranian Armed Forces) announced a large-scale retaliatory operation, attacking Israel. US facilities in Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar, Kuwait, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia were also hit.
On March 11, a Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters spokesman reported that Iran would not allow US-affiliated oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. On March 15, he warned that Tehran would use any method necessary, including controlling the navigation of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, to force the enemy to surrender.