NEW DELHI – An Indian flagged liquefied petroleum gas tanker carrying 45 000 metric tons of fuel was forced to take an unusual route through the Strait of Hormuz after conflict erupted between Israel, the United States and Iran in late February.
The vessel, Pine Gas, had loaded cargo at the United Arab Emirates’ Ruwais port on February 27, a day before Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran. The tanker was expected to reach India within a week. Instead, it remained stranded for nearly three weeks as Iran began selectively allowing ships to pass through the strategic waterway.
Chief Officer Sohan Lal said the 27 Indian crew members watched missiles and drones flying overhead daily while waiting for clearance. In a video seen by Reuters, at least five projectiles streak across the night sky above the vessel. 
According to Lal, Indian officials instructed the crew around March 11 to remain on standby to depart. However, clearance only came on March 23 as the conflict intensified, and the tanker was barred from using the regular Hormuz shipping lanes.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps directed the vessel to navigate a narrow channel north of Larak Island along Iran’s coast. Lal said Indian authorities and the ship’s owner, Mumbai based Seven Islands Shipping, required unanimous consent from all crew members before proceeding.
“They needed a yes or a no from all crew,” he said. “Everyone onboard agreed.”
The alternative route, not typically used by commercial shipping, was recommended because the main passage through Hormuz was reportedly mined. Lal said the Indian Navy guided the tanker during the transit, and four Indian warships escorted it for nearly 20 hours from the Gulf of Oman to the Arabian Sea. He added that no transit fee was paid and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard did not board the ship.
The Indian Navy confirmed it has been escorting Indian flagged vessels after they cross the strait. India’s foreign ministry said the navy has maintained a presence in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea for years to secure sea lanes for Indian and other ships.
The delay comes at a sensitive time for India, which depends heavily on imported liquefied petroleum gas, with hundreds of millions of households using it for cooking. Pine Gas had initially been scheduled to discharge its cargo at the west coast port of Mangalore, but authorities later redirected it to offload equal volumes at Visakhapatnam and Haldia on the eastern coast.
Iran has stated that it is allowing what it calls friendly nations, including China, Russia, India, Iraq and Pakistan, to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
While six Indian ships have exited the strait, 18 Indian flagged vessels carrying about 485 Indian seafarers remain in the Persian Gulf as tensions persist in the region.
