New Delhi, April 5 (IANS) An India-flagged vessel, Green Asha, has safely crossed the Strait of Hormuz, marking the ninth Indian tanker to transit the crucial maritime corridor since the onset of the ongoing West Asia conflict.

The development comes even as tensions remain elevated and security concerns continue to disrupt one of the world’s most vital oil and energy supply routes.

According to reports, Green Asha is an LPG carrier and its successful passage highlights India’s continued reliance on the strait despite mounting risks.

The transit follows a series of similar crossings by Indian vessels navigating the conflict-hit region under heightened surveillance.

The situation in the Strait of Hormuz has remained volatile since Iran tightened its control over the passage following US-Israeli strikes on February 28.

The escalation has impacted global fuel supplies and rattled energy markets, with maritime data indicating that nearly 60 per cent of commodity-carrying ships using the route are either originating from or destined for Iran.

Despite these challenges, Indian shipping activity through the strait has remained relatively robust.

Prior to Green Asha’s journey, at least eight Indian vessels had already crossed the corridor.

Among them were LPG carriers BW TYR and BW ELM, which transported around 94,000 tonnes of cargo through the conflict zone.

In late March, four Indian-flagged LPG tankers, including Pine Gas and Jag Vasant, delivered more than 92,600 tonnes of LPG over a three-day period.

Earlier, MT Shivalik and MT Nanda Devi had carried close to 92,700 tonnes of LPG to Gujarat’s Mundra and Kandla ports in mid-March.

Other shipments included crude and refined fuels. Oil tanker Jag Laadki transported over 80,000 tonnes of crude oil from the UAE to Mundra, while Jag Prakash crossed the strait carrying gasoline from Oman to African markets.

Another LPG carrier, Green Sanvi, also completed its transit recently with a cargo of approximately 46,650 metric tonnes.

–IANS

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