The strait is closed only to those attacking us and their allies
At the narrow throat of the Strait of Hormuz, where a fifth of the world's crude oil passes each day, two Indian tankers sit anchored and waiting — a quiet emblem of how swiftly geopolitical rupture translates into material consequence. Since a US-Israeli military operation killed Iran's Supreme Leader in late February, the strait has become a zone of contested passage, and India now finds itself navigating not just a waterway but the delicate geometry of non-alignment in a world at war. Prime Minister Modi works the phones while the Pine Gas and the Jag Vasant hold their position, each vessel a small vessel carrying a very large question: whether neutrality, in practice, still buys safe passage.
- Iran's partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz — declared closed only to nations it deems hostile — has trapped 22 Indian vessels inside the Gulf and sent global oil prices surging.
- The killing of Ayatollah Khamenei in a US-Israeli strike on February 28 shattered the strait's status as a reliable corridor, turning routine tanker movements into high-stakes diplomatic tests.
- Two Indian tankers, the Pine Gas and the Jag Vasant, are anchored near Sharjah and poised to sail as soon as Saturday, following the successful passage of two earlier Indian vessels to Gujarat.
- Prime Minister Modi is in direct contact with world leaders to secure safe corridors, while India's foreign ministry publicly insists on the unhindered movement of its merchant fleet.
- Tracking data signals the tankers are moving into position even as Indian shipping officials decline to confirm details — the vessels themselves broadcasting intent where diplomacy remains guarded.
The Strait of Hormuz — a narrow corridor carrying roughly one-fifth of the world's crude oil — has become the focal point of a global energy crisis. Since the United States and Israel launched a major military operation against Iran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the passage has been thrown into uncertainty. Hundreds of ships have been stranded. India, with 22 vessels trapped inside the Gulf, has been working urgently to move them out.
Two tankers have already made it through: the Shivalik and the Nanda Devi, now safely docked in Gujarat. Now two more — the Pine Gas, chartered by Indian Oil Corporation, and the Jag Vasant, chartered by Bharat Petroleum — sit anchored near Sharjah in the UAE, their tracking signals suggesting departure could come as early as Saturday.
Iran has drawn a careful line: the strait remains open, it insists, to nations not engaged in hostilities against it. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that only American vessels and those of allied attackers face closure. For India, which has positioned itself as a non-aligned actor, this distinction is everything — and the movement of these tankers will test whether that status holds in practice.
The economic tremors are already spreading. Oil and gas prices have surged, retaliatory strikes have disrupted Gulf aviation, and energy markets are recalibrating around the possibility of prolonged disruption. Prime Minister Modi is engaging directly with international leaders to secure safe corridors, while India's foreign ministry has made its stance clear: the free movement of its merchant fleet is non-negotiable. The tankers are in position. The answer, for now, lies somewhere between diplomacy and the open sea.
The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, has become a chokepoint for global energy supplies. Through this passage flows roughly one-fifth to one-quarter of the world's crude oil. On a Friday in late March, two Indian liquefied petroleum gas tankers—the Pine Gas and the Jag Vasant—sat anchored near Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, their tracking systems broadcasting a single message: they were preparing to move.
These vessels were not alone in their waiting. Since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched a major military operation against Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the strait had become a zone of uncertainty. Hundreds of ships had been stranded in the narrow passage. India, however, had already managed to move two of its own tankers—the Shivalik and the Nanda Devi—safely through the contested waters to the Indian state of Gujarat. Now, with diplomatic channels open, two more Indian-flagged tankers appeared ready to follow.
The Pine Gas was chartered by the Indian Oil Corporation; the Jag Vasant by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited. According to shipping data and sources familiar with the movements, both vessels could depart as soon as Saturday. The stakes were substantial. India had twenty-two vessels trapped inside the Gulf, and their safe passage had become a matter of active diplomatic engagement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in direct conversation with other world leaders about securing corridors for these ships to move.
Iran's position on the strait had become a central point of contention. The country claimed the waterway remained open—but only to nations it did not consider hostile. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated plainly that the strait was closed exclusively to American vessels and those of allied nations attacking Iran, while others remained free to transit. This distinction mattered enormously for India, which had positioned itself as a non-aligned actor in the conflict and was now testing whether that status would hold in practice.
The economic consequences of the blockade were already visible. Global oil and gas prices had surged as the crisis deepened. The war in West Asia had triggered retaliatory strikes on Gulf nations hosting American military bases, disrupting aviation operations and sending shockwaves through energy markets. The prospect of sustained disruption to one of the world's most critical shipping lanes had begun to reshape global commodity prices.
India's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, had made the country's position explicit: it favored the safe and unhindered movement of its merchant fleet. When asked directly about the two tankers preparing to sail, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary of India's federal shipping ministry, declined to confirm details, saying immediate information was not available. But the tracking data told its own story. The vessels were moving into position. The question was whether they would be allowed to pass.
Notable Quotes
The Strait of Hormuz is open. It is only closed to the tankers and ships belonging to our enemies or to those who are attacking us and their allies.— Abbas Araghchi, Iranian Foreign Minister
India is in favour of safe and unhindered movement of its fleet of 22 vessels inside the Gulf, with Prime Minister Modi engaging other leaders about their safe passage.— Randhir Jaiswal, Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does it matter that these two specific tankers are crossing now, rather than waiting?
Because they're testing whether India's diplomatic position actually holds. If Pine Gas and Jag Vasant make it through safely, it signals that Iran sees India as distinct from the US-Israel coalition. If they don't, it changes everything about how Indian shipping operates in the region.
What about the twenty-two other vessels still trapped in the Gulf?
They're the real pressure point. India can't afford to lose that much shipping capacity or those cargo contracts. Modi's on the phone with other leaders partly because India needs a guarantee, not just Iran's word.
Does Iran actually have the military capacity to enforce a blockade of the entire strait?
That's the unspoken question. Iran says it's only closed to enemies. But if global oil prices are already surging just from the threat, the market is already pricing in the possibility that Iran could make it stick.
What happens if these tankers get through?
It becomes a precedent. Other nations watching—and there are many—will see that Indian vessels can navigate the strait. That changes the calculus for everyone else trying to move cargo through.
And if they don't?
Then India's diplomatic outreach hasn't worked, and you're looking at a genuine energy crisis. Twenty-five percent of global crude oil moves through that strait. Sustained disruption isn't theoretical anymore.