Argus News - India-bound LPG tanker secures safe passage through Strait of Hormuz: Sources

New Delhi, Mar 14: An India-bound LPG tanker has successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened Middle East tensions, with Iran confirming safe passage for vessels headed to India.

This move signals Tehran’s intent to maintain energy trade routes despite regional conflict.

According to reports, the vessel passed the strait on March 14 afternoon without any incident. Another tanker will also sail for India soon, added the reports.

The confirmation coincided with a comment by Iran's Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, today that Tehran will provide safe passage to vessels bound for India through the Strait of Hormuz, citing longstanding friendship and shared interests between the two countries.

"Yes. Because India and Iran are friends. You can see in the future and I think that after two or three hours. Because we believe that. We believe that Iran and India are friends. We have common interests; we have a common fate," Fathali said to a question on the tanker movement.

"Suffering of the people of India is our suffering and vice versa. And for this reason, the government of India helps us, and we should help the government of India because we have a common fate and common interest," he said.

India’s energy security has come under strain after Iran launched missile attacks on Qatar’s gas fields, forcing QatarEnergy the world’s largest natural gas exporter to suspend production. The disruption has directly impacted supplies to Asian markets, including India, which sources nearly half of its natural gas requirements from international markets.

Of India’s total imports, about 20 percent comes from Qatar, making the Gulf nation a critical supplier. The sudden halt in production has raised concerns over potential shortages and price volatility in the region.

Also Read: No Shortage of Fuel, Says Govt as LPG Output Surges amid West Asia Tensions

As the situation unfolds, global energy markets remain on edge, with traders closely monitoring developments in Qatar and Iran.

To deal with this growing challenge, India has guidelines for regulating the supply and use of natural gas in different sectors across the country.

More than 70 per cent of India's crude imports are now moving through routes outside the Strait of Hormuz. The crude situation is "normal," a top official said.