Kamal Ghorui
The Indian-flagged LPG tanker Pine Gas had to wait nearly three weeks before it could safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz, after Iran began allowing ships through the narrow waterway only selectively. The vessel had loaded cargo at the United Arab Emirates’ Ruwais port on February 28, a day before attacks on Iran by Israel and the United States. It was expected to reach India within a week, but the journey took much longer.Chief Officer Sohan Lal said the ship’s 27 Indian crew had seen missiles and drones flying overhead every day while waiting. In a video reviewed, at least five projectiles could be seen streaking through the night sky above the vessel.Indian officials had asked the crew to be on standby to set sail around March 11. However, with the conflict escalating, the ship was only cleared to move on March 23, but not through the normal Hormuz shipping lanes.Instead, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) instructed the tanker to navigate a narrow channel north of Larak Island off Iran’s coast.“They needed a yes or a no from all crew,” Lal said. “Everyone onboard agreed.” He added that the Larak route, not generally used by shipping, was recommended by the IRGC as the regular passage through Hormuz was mined.Lal said the Indian Navy guided the ship during the transit, and four Indian warships then escorted it for nearly 20 hours from the Gulf of Oman to the Arabian Sea. He added that they did not pay a fee for the passage and that the IRGC did not board the vessel at any time.The Indian Navy confirmed it was escorting Indian-flagged ships after they crossed the strait. The foreign ministry said this month that the Indian Navy has been present in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea for years to secure sea lanes for Indian and other ships.India relies heavily on seaborne imports of liquefied petroleum gas, with hundreds of millions of households using it for cooking. The Pine Gas, carrying 45,000 metric tons of LPG, was originally scheduled to unload at the west coast port of Mangalore, but Indian authorities directed it to discharge equal volumes at the eastern ports of Visakhapatnam and Haldia.Iran has said it has permitted “friendly nations” including China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan passage through the Strait of Hormuz. While six Indian ships have exited the strait, 18 Indian-flagged vessels carrying around 485 Indian seafarers remain in the Persian Gulf.
