Missiles, Mines and a Narrow Escape: Indian LPG Tanker’s Daring Hormuz Escape

An Indian-flagged LPG tanker took an unusual route to exit the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions following U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran. The vessel, Pine Gas, had loaded cargo at the United Arab Emirates’ Ruwais port on February 27, a day before the war began, expecting to reach India within a week. Instead, it remained stranded for nearly three weeks as Iran imposed restrictions on maritime movement through the strategic waterway.Chief Officer Sohan Lal said the crew of 27 Indians witnessed frequent aerial activity while waiting for clearance, reports Reuters.In a video seen by the news agency, multiple missiles and drones were visible in the night sky above the vessel. Lal said Indian authorities had initially asked the crew to be ready

to sail around March 11, but delays continued as the situation worsened.

Clearance finally came on March 23, though not via the usual shipping lanes. Instead, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directed the tanker to use a narrow passage north of Larak Island along Iran’s coast.Lal said the alternative route was suggested because the main Hormuz channel had been mined.“They needed a yes or a no from all crew,” he said. “Everyone onboard agreed.”He added that the decision to proceed was taken only after both Indian authorities and the ship’s owner, Mumbai-based Seven Islands Shipping, ensured that all crew members consented to the journey.The Indian Navy monitored the vessel during its transit and later deployed four warships to escort it for nearly 20 hours from the Gulf of Oman to the Arabian Sea. Lal said no fee was charged for the passage and Iranian forces did not board the ship.

India’s Navy confirmed it has been escorting Indian-flagged vessels after they cross the strait. The foreign ministry said the Navy has maintained a presence in the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea for years to safeguard shipping lanes.India depends heavily on imported liquefied petroleum gas, widely used for cooking in millions of households. Pine Gas was carrying about 45,000 metric tons of LPG.While the tanker was originally bound for Mangalore, authorities redirected it to ports in Visakhapatnam and Haldia.The US and Israel attacks on Iran and Tehran's sweeping retaliation have all but halted shipping through the strait - the narrow shipping lane that is a conduit for oil and gas exports from Gulf countries to the world. Iran, however, last week said "non-hostile vessels" may transit the waterway after coordinating with Iranian authorities.On March 29, two more Indian-flagged LPG tankers, carrying roughly a day's supply of the country's cooking gas, have safely navigated through the war-hit Strait of Hormuz and are expected to reach Indian shores in the next couple of days. "Two LPG carriers, BW TYR and BW ELM, carrying a combined LPG cargo of about 94,000 tonnes, have safely transited the region and are moving towards Indian shores," an official statement said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xri4_8Lm5oc

"A total of 18 Indian-flagged vessels with 485 Indian seafarers remain in the western Persian Gulf region," the statement said.Originally, there were 28 Indian-flagged vessels in the Strait of Hormuz when the war in West Asia broke out. Of these, 24 were on the West side of the strait and four on the East side. In the last few days, six vessels from the west side and two from the east have managed to sail to safety.