India secured a significant diplomatic outcome on March 12 as Iran indicated that vessels connected to India could transit the Strait of Hormuz, following a series of phone calls between Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The development came as the conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran entered its thirteenth day, with the strait effectively closed to most shipping since hostilities began on February 28.
India's Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal confirmed at a press briefing on March 12 that Jaishankar and Araghchi had spoken three times in recent days. The most recent conversation, on March 10, focused specifically on the safety of Indian shipping and India's energy security. Jaiswal stopped short of confirming a formal agreement, saying it was "premature" to characterise the discussions as a settled arrangement.
Iranian authorities also denied that any formal safe passage deal was in place. Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi told AFP in Tehran that Iran had allowed ships from some countries to transit the strait, but that nations involved in military action against Iran should not expect the same. IRGC Naval Force commander Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri warned that vessels attempting to cross the strait without Iranian clearance faced attack. On March 12, he said two ships — the Express Rome and the Mayuree Naree — were struck after ignoring those warnings.
Despite the uncertainty, at least two India-bound tankers had already made the crossing. The Liberia-flagged Suezmax tanker Shenlong, captained by an Indian mariner and carrying 135,335 metric tonnes of Saudi crude oil loaded at Ras Tanura, transited the strait on March 8 with its Automatic Identification System transponder switched off. The vessel reappeared on tracking systems on March 9 and docked at the Jawahar Dweep Terminal in Mumbai on the evening of March 11. A second tanker — an Indian-flagged very large crude carrier transporting approximately 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude — also completed the crossing and was heading to Paradip port in Odisha.
The transit of these vessels was closely watched because the strait remains the single most critical route for India's energy imports. The country imports about 88 percent of its oil needs, with 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels per day sourced from Gulf producers via the Hormuz passage. Around 55 percent of India's liquefied petroleum gas imports and 30 percent of its liquefied natural gas pass through the same waterway.
As of March 12, 28 Indian-flagged vessels remained affected by the closure. Of these, 24 ships with 677 seafarers were positioned west of the strait, while four vessels with 101 crew members were on the eastern side. India's Shipping Ministry said all vessels and crew were under active monitoring, with a 24-hour control room operational since February 28. Separately, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian posted publicly on the platform X outlining conditions he said would be necessary to end the conflict with the United States and Israel.
The overall situation in the strait remained fluid and dangerous as of the date of reporting. While limited exceptions had emerged for some non-Western vessels, the waterway continued to pose significant risks for international shipping, and no formal arrangement governing Indian vessel passage had been publicly confirmed by either government.
Mohsin Rana
