Tehran [Iran], March 16 : Iran has asked India for the exchange of three tankers seized by it in exchange for permitting the safe passage of Indian-flagged or India-bound ships from the Strait of Hormuz, Reuters reported on Monday.
As per Reuters, India had earlier seized those tankers alleging they had concealed or altered their identities and were involved in illegal ship-to-ship transfers at sea. Indian authorities seized the tankers Asphalt Star, Al Jafzia and Stellar Ruby alleging they had concealed or altered their identity and movements, and were involved in illegal ship-to-ship transfers. Stellar Ruby is Iranian-flagged, while the other two vessels are flagged to Nicaragua and Mali, as per Reuters.
Tehran has also sought supplies of certain medicines and medical equipment, according to one of the sources, an Iranian official. Iran's ambassador to New Delhi met Indian foreign ministry officials on Monday to discuss the issue, the source told Reuters.
Meanwhile, Indian LPG carrier 'Shivalik', carrying about 40,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas, reached Mundra Port in Gujarat on Monday evening. The carrier arrived at the port after safely transiting out of the Strait of Hormuz late last night/early this morning.
Earlier today, addressing the Inter Ministerial briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia in New Delhi, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, said that documentation and priority berthing have been arranged at the port to ensure no delay in the discharge of cargo of the Shivalik.
The Indian-flagged vessel, 'Jag Laadki', which sailed from the UAE, carrying about 81,000 tonnes of Murban crude oil, is also safely en route to India.
According to the Shipping Ministry all Indian seafarers in the Persian Gulf area are safe and no incident has been reported in the last 24 hours.Consequently, there are now 22 Indian-flagged vessels remaining in the Persian Gulf, carrying a total of 611 seafarers.
Earlier, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar championed direct dialogue with Tehran as the most efficient method for resuming maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, as India seeks to protect its energy security amidst intensifying tensions in West Asia.
In an interview with the Financial Times UK, the Union Minister stated that New Delhi is currently engaging with Iran to facilitate the reopening of the vital waterway, which handles nearly 20 per cent of global oil trade.
He noted that these discussions are "already yielding some results," suggesting that India finds it more effective to "reason and coordinate" with Tehran rather than disengage.
However, Jaishankar clarified that a formal "blanket arrangement" for all Indian-flagged ships has not yet been established. He explained that the transit of vessels is currently being managed on a "case-by-case basis."
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