NEW DELHI, May 29: An India-bound oil tanker carrying petroleum cargo successfully crossed the strategically crucial Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions over maritime regulation and transit control in the region.
The Marshall Islands-flagged tanker, Nissos Keros, departed Sharjah on May 21 and is currently en route to Visakhapatnam, where it is expected to arrive on June 3. Maritime tracking platforms showed the vessel moving through the northern Arabian Sea off India’s west coast on Friday.
The development comes amid heightened concerns over navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, a key global energy corridor through which nearly 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas shipments pass.
Iran’s state media reported that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy facilitated the passage of 23 commercial vessels through the strait in the last 24 hours amid ongoing tensions surrounding Tehran’s proposal to regulate maritime traffic through a new authority.
The United Nations has maintained that imposing transit fees in international waters would be illegal, while the United States under President Donald Trump has reiterated support for free navigation through the strategic waterway.
Iran’s moves to tighten control over the Strait of Hormuz have raised concerns of disruptions in global energy supplies and wider economic impact, as the route remains critical for international oil and gas trade. (Agencies)
