Despite West Asia tension, movement of Indian ships continues, Foreign Ministry gives latest update
Delhi. 11 Indian ships have successfully moved out of the Strait of Hormuz, while 13 ships are still stranded in the Persian Gulf. External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters, “We have seen progress and after diplomatic talks and dialogue with the Iranian side, so far 11 Indian ships have left the Strait of Hormuz, while 13 ships are still stuck in the Persian Gulf. We are in talks with the Iranian authorities to ensure that the remaining ships can also cross the Strait of Hormuz and reach India.”
Responding to questions related to Iranian ships and maritime access, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said ships from other countries do not require any permission to operate in international waters. He said, “If ships from other countries want to operate in international waters, no permission is required, but regarding your specific question whether they want to come into Indian waters, that is a matter which the shipping ministry or the concerned technical authorities will be able to answer.”
It is noteworthy that these comments come at a time when Iran has introduced a new set of rules for ships that want to pass through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. The strait is a major choke point for global energy and shipping. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump announced that the US military operation facilitating the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz will be temporarily halted. He described this as the result of progress in talks with Iran and Pakistan’s request.
Trump said in his social media post, “At the request of Pakistan and other countries, in view of the tremendous military success we have achieved during the campaign against Iran, and in view of the fact that considerable progress has been made towards a full and final agreement with the representatives of Iran, we have decided by mutual consent that the blockade will remain in full force and effect. However, ‘Project Freedom’ (the movement of ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be stopped for a short period, so that It remains to be seen whether the agreement can be finalized and signed or not.”
The UK Maritime Trade Organization (UKMTO) said the threat in the Strait of Hormuz has reached a critical level following a series of attacks over the past 48 hours. The organization said that this report comes at a time when US naval units transiting the Strait of Hormuz have thwarted various threats yesterday and today. It said that in the Strait of Hormuz, conditions such as ‘interference with navigation, enforcement of the blockade, reports of mines, and the risk of attacks or miscalculations’ persist.
The Gulf of Oman has also been kept in the ‘severe’ category. The UKMTO said this was due to ‘historical projectile/UAV attacks’ (unpiloted aerial vehicles or drones) and also because of the heavy armed naval presence there.
Commercial traffic through the strait has ground to a halt with only five ships passing through it on 4 May and six on 3 May, compared to its historical daily average of 138 ships. The operating environment remains high risk given the recent attacks on ships in the region. In the last 48 hours, several incidents of aggressive detention of ships and forceful actions by Iranian units have been reported.
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