Two more merchant vessels carrying petroleum products for India are crossing the Strait of Hormuz, reported ANI on Saturday, citing sources. The war in West
Asia has impacted the Strait of Hormuz -- the narrow waterway between Iran and Oman. The Strait of Hormuz connects the oil and gas-producing Gulf countries to the rest of the world, and nearly one-fifth of the total energy trade happens through this route. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said late on Wednesday that Tehran would permit ships from "friendly nations", including China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan, to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Indian Navy warships are on standby to provide support to them, the news agency said, adding that more vessels are expected to follow soon. Check Iran War Live Updates Here Hundreds of ships had been stranded in the Strait of Hormuz since the beginning of the war on February 28. However, after India's diplomatic outreach, two Indian vessels --Shivalik and Nanda Devi -- safely crossed the strait and reached Gujarat. Earlier this week, two additional Indian-flagged vessels, Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, carrying Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), also crossed the Strait of Hormuz. The two ships were carrying 92,612 tonnes of LPG, said Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways, at a news briefing. Earlier, in an interview with the Financial Times, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India does not have a "blanket arrangement" with Iran for Indian-flagged ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz. He said that Delhi's talks with Tehran were "ongoing" and "yielding results".
Tehran has agreed to "facilitate and expedite" humanitarian aid through the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said Friday. Ali Bahreini said Tehran has accepted a request from the UN to let humanitarian aid and agricultural shipments move through the critical waterway, even as it endured strikes on its nuclear facilities. "This measure reflects Iran's continued commitment to supporting humanitarian efforts and ensuring that essential aid reaches those in need without delay," Bahreini said in a post on X.
The aid plan would be the first breakthrough at the shipping chokepoint after a month of war. While markets and governments have largely focused on blocked supplies of oil and natural gas, the restriction of fertiliser threatens farming and food security around the world. The UN earlier announced a task force to address the ripple effects the Iran war has had on aid delivery.
