'Missiles, drones flying overhead': How Indian-flagged LPG tanker escaped Strait of Hormuz via channel off Iran coast

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like An Indian-flagged LPG tanker, which had expected to return home within a week, was delayed for over three times that duration due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, caused by the ongoing Iran–US conflict. Pine Gas's journey was delayed as tensions between Iran and the US disrupted the movement of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz (PTI/Representative.)Pine Gas, one of the LPG carriers that recently navigated the tense waterway had reportedly loaded cargo at the UAE Ruwais port just one day before Israel and the US launched a surprise attack on Iran, triggering a war that has since impacted several countries in the Gulf. Follow live updates on Iran-US war here. Pine Gas's journey was delayed as tensions between Iran and the US disrupted the movement of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering oil concerns across the world. The tanker's delay became even more critical amid fears of an LPG shortage in India. Even so, the vessel with 27 crew members managed to the transit and along with another Indian-flagged vessel Jag Vasant, managed to carry LPG to India. As reported by HT earlier, while the JAG Vasant reached Kandla with 47,612 tonnes of LPG, the Pine Gas arrived in New Mangalore with 45,000 tonnes of LPG. While Pine Gas managed to reach India, the journey was full of risks for the vessel and its crew, who reportedly saw “missiles and drones flying overhead" every day as they awaited clearance for movement. Pine Gas Chief Officer Sohan Lal told news agency Reuters that the vessel was scheduled to set sail on March 11 but the raging Iran-US conflict delayed the voyage and wasn't until March 23 that the ship was cleared to move. According to Lal, the vessel was not granted passage through normal Hormuz shipping routes, but was asked by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to navigate a narrow channel north of Larak Island off Iran’s coast. The Indian authorities and the vessel owner, Mumbai‑based Seven Islands Shipping, left the decision to the ship crew. “They needed a yes or a no from all crew,” Lal was quoted as saying by Reuters. “Everyone onboard agreed.” According to the Reuters report, Pine Gas was escorted out to the Arabian Sea from the Gulf of Oman by four Indian warships who monitored the passage for 20 hours. The Indian government had earlier said it was deploying more warships to the Gulf of Oman for the safe passage of its fuel carriers as it expects Iran to allow them to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The Pine Gas chief officer also said that no fee was charged for the passage of the ship. India had earlier clarified that Iran got nothing “in exchange” for allowing its vessels to pass. There was no “blanket arrangement” with Iran on the matter, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had told Financial Times. Poorva Joshi is a Senior Content Producer with nearly five years of experience in journalism. She covers Indian politics and geopolitics, with a focus on diplomatic relations, trade negotiations, and economic policy between countries. She has previously worked at India Today, CNN-News18 and India TV. Over the years, she has reported extensively on major national and international developments, including the Air India plane crash, the Pahalgam terror attack, India–US trade tensions, tensions in the Middle East, high-profile crime stories in India, multiple state Assembly elections, and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. She spearheaded the Bihar Assembly elections live blog, which drew over one million users to the Hindustan Times website. Her reporting on India–US tariff and trade tensions has consistently driven strong readership and engagement for the platform. In addition to reporting, she has spent a significant part of her career leading newsroom shifts, ideating stories, editing and fine-tuning copies, and seeing coverage through from planning to publication, alongside writing original articles. At HT, she received the Insta Award for being the top contributor to the HT News Team in November.Read More