Two Indian-flagged ships have successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, despite ongoing tensions between Iran and the US. The ships began transiting safely through the Strait between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with an official statement on the matter still awaited.
This comes two days after a Liberian-flagged tanker, captained by an Indian, cleared the Strait of Hormuz and berthed at the port of Mumbai, becoming the first India-destined vessel to safely transit the waterway.
The passage of Indian vessels comes amid Iran's intensification of its offensive over the Strait of Hormuz and a stern warning to ships passing through the stretch to seek its approval or face attack.
Iran's warning follows the targeting of two foreign tankers carrying Iraqi fuel oil in Iraq's territorial waters, which were hit by unidentified attackers. An initial investigation showed explosive-laden boats from Iran had hit the two tankers.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic oil passage, with over 20 million barrels of crude oil passing through it daily, roughly a fifth of global oil consumption.
