India is currently engaged in negotiations with Iran to secure safe passage for more than 20 oil and gas tankers through the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz, according to a report by Bloomberg. The discussions are reportedly being handled by India’s Ministry of External Affairs as part of diplomatic efforts to address disruptions caused by the ongoing conflict in the region.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow maritime corridor linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman, has effectively been closed due to escalating hostilities following military actions involving the United States and Israel against Iran. The waterway is one of the world’s most critical energy routes, with nearly one-fifth of global crude oil shipments typically passing through it.
As a result of the conflict, several vessels carrying liquefied petroleum gas, liquefied natural gas, and crude oil have been stranded in the region. These tankers had been operating along the Hormuz corridor when tensions escalated and maritime traffic was disrupted.
Earlier in the day, sources indicated that Iran had permitted Indian oil tankers to transit the strait after India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held discussions with his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi. While confirming that conversations had taken place between the two leaders, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal declined to provide further details about the negotiations or the status of the vessels.
Jaishankar earlier posted on social media that he had spoken with Araghchi and that both sides had agreed to remain in close contact regarding the evolving situation, although the message did not specifically refer to the stranded tankers.
Meanwhile, India’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri assured Parliament that the country is not facing any shortage of fuel despite the crisis in the Gulf region. Speaking in the Parliament of India, he said that India’s crude supply remains secure even amid the disruption of shipping routes.
Puri described the current situation as unprecedented in modern energy history but stressed that India had managed to secure sufficient crude oil supplies through diversified sourcing strategies. Prior to the crisis, roughly 45 percent of India’s crude imports passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
According to the minister, diplomatic outreach and international cooperation have enabled India to obtain crude volumes that exceed what the disrupted Hormuz route would normally have delivered during the same period. He added that procurement from countries outside the Hormuz corridor has increased significantly.
Puri further stated that India’s oil refineries are operating at very high capacity levels, with several facilities exceeding 100 percent utilisation. Imports of crude oil from non-Hormuz sources have risen to nearly 70 percent, compared to about 55 percent when the conflict initially began.
He emphasised that the availability of petroleum products across the country remains stable. Supplies of petrol, diesel, aviation turbine fuel, kerosene, and fuel oil are fully assured, while retail outlets nationwide remain adequately stocked and supply chains continue to operate normally.
