New Delhi, March 28 (ANI) — Two merchant vessels carrying petroleum products for India have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, with Indian Navy warships on standby to provide support, officials said. More ships carrying fuel for India are expected to follow soon.
At a joint inter-ministerial briefing, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said authorities are closely monitoring the situation and coordinating with stakeholders. “In the Gulf region, there has been no information in the last 24 hours regarding any incident involving Indian-flagged ships or Indian seafarers. All are safe,” he said, adding that Indian ships operating in the Persian Gulf are currently safe.
Sinha noted there are 20 Indian-flagged vessels in the Persian Gulf with about 540 Indians on board. He said the Directorate General of Shipping’s 24-hour communication centre has been responding to queries; in the past 24 hours it received 98 calls and 335 emails, all of which were answered.
India reiterated its urgent call for preservation of safe and uninterrupted maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz and stressed that international law must be upheld amid the deteriorating security situation in West Asia. The government said it is keeping a vigilant watch on regional volatility to protect national energy interests.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said New Delhi is actively coordinating with global partners to ensure stability and is closely following developments in West Asia, prioritizing safe and free navigation through the Strait. He also reported that four Indian-bound vessels carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) successfully navigated the chokepoint.
(Sourced from ANI; syndicated feed content published as received.)
