Did India give bribe to Iran to allow ships to pass? Central government rejected the claim

New Delhi: The central government on Wednesday (April 22, 2026) categorically rejected all reports that Indian ships paid Iran in cash or cryptocurrency for passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Government officials made it clear that such claims are completely baseless amidst tension in this important sea route.

Why did India have to give clarification? 

Let us tell you that this clarification from the Government of India has come after the incident of April 18. That day, two Indian-flagged ships had to turn back due to firing by the Iranian military while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

The incident raised concerns in the maritime sector and raised questions over the safety of the world’s busiest energy route. There was also speculation linking this incident to a crypto scam. Reports said fraudsters were luring ship owners into offering safe passage in exchange for crypto payments.

Mukesh Mangal, additional secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, rejected these claims. He said, “News spread that the captain of the ‘Sanmar Herald’ gave US dollars to people posing as representatives of the IRGC Navy and became a victim of cyber fraud. We spoke to the ship owner. He confirmed that this is fake news, no such incident took place.”

No proof of any payment- Government of India 

Mukesh Mangal, additional secretary in the waterways ministry, reiterated that there was no verified information to suggest that Indian ships paid anyone for safe passage. “As we have said before, we have no new data or confirmation that any of our ships have paid any authority for this work,” he said.

It is noteworthy that ‘Sanmar Shipping’ of Chennai also issued a statement calling the news wrong. The company said, “There are reports on social media that our crude carrier Sanmar Herald has become a victim of crypto scam. We want to clarify that these reports are completely false.” The company said that it is in constant touch with Indian authorities for the safe movement of ships.