In defiance of standoff, first breach of blockade as two Indian tankers slip through

2026-03-24 - 05:43

A tentative breakthrough in Gulf shipping has emerged after two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers departed from Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, successfully crossing the Strait of Hormuz en route to India, marking the first partial breach of Iran’s de facto naval blockade. According to Reuters, ship-tracking data from MarineTraffic showed that the Indian-flagged tanker Pine Gas transited the strait, followed closely by Jag Vasant. The former broadcast a message identifying itself as an “Indian vessel with an Indian crew,” underscoring heightened sensitivities surrounding maritime movements in the region. India’s Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways confirmed that the two vessels — carrying more than 92,000 tonnes of LPG—had safely sailed south toward the Arabian Sea, with expected arrivals at Indian ports between March 26 and 28. Data from London Stock Exchange Group indicated the tankers had loaded cargo at Gulf ports before continuing their voyage, while separate data from Kpler showed another petroleum products tanker had already completed a similar transit on March 21. The crossings come three weeks after the outbreak of the US-Israeli war on Iran on February 28, which severely disrupted maritime traffic through the strait—a chokepoint that typically handles around 20% of global oil and LNG flows, reports Al-Rai daily. Maritime brokerage Clarksons reported that tanker traffic remains down by approximately 95% compared to pre-war levels, with hundreds of vessels and around 20,000 sailors still stranded inside the Gulf amid Iranian threats to target outbound ships. In contrast, Iranian-linked shipping activity has continued largely uninterrupted. Analysis by United Against Nuclear Iran revealed that at least 14 Iranian-flagged oil tankers have reached Asian waters via the Singapore Strait since the conflict began. Although shipments briefly paused at the start of the war, they quickly resumed, with a senior adviser describing the flow as “business as usual.” Additional data showed that 15 Iranian tankers returned empty to the Gulf after unloading their cargoes in Asia. In a notable development, the first Western grain vessel arrived at Iran’s Bandar Imam Khomeini, a dry bulk carrier operated by a Greek company, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence. Meanwhile, member states of the International Maritime Organization have agreed to work toward establishing a safe maritime corridor to evacuate commercial vessels and protect stranded seafarers, although no clear timeline has yet been announced.