Envoy: Iran in talks with India over safe passage through Strait of Hormuz

Iran is maintaining “good contact” with the Indian government over the passage of Indian vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and wants to help ensure safe navigation, Tehran’s ambassador to India said on April 13.

Iranian Ambassador Mohammad Fathali said discussions with New Delhi were ongoing amid heightened tensions in the region and disruptions to maritime traffic through one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The waterway, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, is a vital route for global energy supplies. Roughly 40% of India’s crude oil imports pass through the strait, making any disruption a significant concern for the South Asian economy.

Two sanctioned supertankers carrying Iranian crude have anchored off India’s western and eastern coasts in what could mark the first such deliveries to the country in nearly seven years.

The tanker Felicity was anchored near Sikka on April 12, carrying around 2 million barrels of oil loaded from Iran’s Kharg Island in mid-March. A second vessel, Jaya, is positioned near Paradip on the east coast with a similar cargo loaded in late February.

Both ships are linked to Iran’s sanction-evading export network, with Felicity identified as associated with the National Iranian Tanker Company, while ownership details for Jaya remain unclear, according to vessel-tracking and Equasis data.

India has not imported Iranian crude since 2019 due to US sanctions. However, recent exemptions allowing oil already in transit, combined with shifting energy security concerns, could open the door to limited renewed flows as New Delhi balances its import needs.

By Aghakazim Guliyev