Three Indian-flagged crude oil tankers carrying “over 8.6 lakh million tonnes of cargo with 94 Indian crew members” crossed the Strait of Hormuz safely on Saturday, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal said.
In a post on X, Sonowal said the tankers — Desh Vaibhav, Desh Vibhor and Sanmar Herald — had “successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz today and are en route to India”. “Safe passage secured,” he said.
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Saying that the government was working on “highest priority to secure India’s maritime interests”, he added: “Our Ministry is actively coordinating with all relevant agencies to guarantee the absolute safety of Bharat’s seafarers and energy lifelines.”
The Desh Vaibhav, with 37 seafarers on board and a cargo of 2,86,572 million tonnes, is expected to reach Vadinar (Gujarat), on June 24. The Desh Vibhor, with 27 crew members and a cargo of 2,88,893 million tonnes, is expected at Sikka (Gujarat) the same day. The Sanmar Herald, with 30 seafarers on board and a cargo of 2,85,400 million tonnes, is expected to reach Paradip (Odisha) on July 1.
Days before the US and Iran signed the interim agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, three Indian seafarers on a Palau-flagged ship were killed in a US missile strike while trying to transit through the Strait.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of safety of seafarers in his meeting with US President Donald Trump on the sidelines of the G7 Summit earlier this week.
Tankers and cargo vessels are seen in the Gulf of Oman, along shipping routes linking the Strait of Hormuz and the Arabian Sea. (PTI)) 
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