Warships of the Indian Navy and the Pakistan Navy were observed operating within 18 nautical miles of each other on Thursday near the Strait of Hormuz. The development was reported by open-source intelligence
analyst Damien Symon, associated with The Intel Lab.
“A rare event observed a short while ago: Indian and Pakistani navy vessels are operating just 18 nautical miles apart off the coast of Oman, likely as both countries work to secure their merchant shipping interests amid the West Asia conflict,” Symon said in a post, sharing a map indicating the proximity of the vessels.
Shortly after, Symon noted that a Pakistan-flagged crude oil tanker, Sargodha, was en route to Karachi under Pakistan Navy escort.
The Indian Navy, meanwhile, has identified India-bound ships carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), liquefied natural gas (LNG) and crude oil for protected transit under Operation Urja Suraksha.
A rare event observed a short while ago: Indian and Pakistani navy vessels are operating just 18 nautical miles apart off the coast of Oman, likely as both countries work to secure their merchant shipping interests amid the West Asia conflict pic.twitter.com/QL5quM7gm2
— Damien Symon (@detresfa_) April 16, 2026
The operation was launched to escort, guide and safeguard India-bound energy shipments as tensions rise over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, following Iran’s effective closure of the route after US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
Last month, the Navy escorted LPG carriers Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, which were carrying a cumulative load of nearly 92,000 tonnes of cooking gas. The vessels reached Indian ports between March 26 and 27.
Other ships escorted so far include LPG carriers Shivalik and Nanda Devi, along with crude oil tanker Jag Laadki.
“We are escorting and, to some extent, helping ships in navigation for smooth movement through the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, till the Arabian Sea,” an official told The Hindu.
The official added that Indian Navy destroyers and frigates were extending protection beyond the Strait as well.
