NEW DELHI, March 18. /TASS/. India has deployed additional warships to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea to ensure the safe passage of its vessels, The Times of India reported, citing sources.
According to the report, the Indian Navy has dispatched at least six ships, including logistics support vessels. They will be stationed east of the Strait of Hormuz and will not enter its waters. Their primary mission will be to escort Indian vessels until they reach the waters of the northern Arabian Sea.
Earlier, it was reported that the Indian Navy had deployed three ships to the Strait of Hormuz and the northern Arabian Sea to escort Indian vessels through 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.