New Delhi: Iran has asked India to release three tankers seized in February, as part of ongoing talks seeking safe passage for Indian-flagged or India-bound vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Monday, March 16.
According to the report citing three sources with knowledge of the matter, Indian authorities had seized the three Iran-linked tankers near Indian waters, alleging that they had concealed or altered their identities and were involved in illegal ship-to-ship transfers at sea. Tehran has also sought supplies of certain medicines and medical equipment, an Iran official told Reuters.
Iran’s Ambassador to New Delhi met Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials on Monday to discuss the issue, the source said.
Indian vessels still stranded in the Gulf
New Delhi said on Monday that at least 22 Indian-flagged vessels and 611 Indian seafarers remained in the Gulf. An Indian source told Reuters that six of the vessels were loaded with liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and that the country was keen to secure their passage first, given a mounting shortage of the cooking fuel. Around 90 per cent of India’s total LPG imports come from the Gulf.
Iran recently allowed two Indian LPG tankers to pass through the strait and one of them returned to Mudra in Gujarat on Monday. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has ground to a near standstill since the beginning of the war in Iran on February 28.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at his daily briefing on Monday that recent movements reflected a “history of engagement, of dealing with each other,” adding that nothing was being exchanged.
Since the start of United States and Israeli attacks on Iran, Tehran has responded with attacks across the region, including on ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz, killing three Indian sailors and leaving one missing.
The three seized tankers
The tankers at the centre of the dispute – Asphalt Star, Al Jafzia and Stellar Ruby – are currently anchored in Mumbai. Stellar Ruby is Iranian-flagged, while Asphalt Star and Al Jafzia are flagged to Nicaragua and Mali.
A police complaint filed by the Indian Coast Guard on February 15 said Asphalt Star was involved in the smuggling of heavy fuel oil that was transferred to Al Jafzia, and bitumen to Stellar Ruby.
Around the time of the seizures, Iranian state media cited the National Iranian Oil Company as saying the three tankers had no connection to the company, Reuters reported.
