What Happened
- India issued a strong statement calling attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz "deplorable" after a vessel bound for Kandla port, Gujarat was struck by Iranian forces
- The MEA stated that "targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members" must be avoided, and called for protection of freedom of navigation
- The incident forms part of a pattern of attacks on commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran-US-Israel conflict began on February 27, 2026
- The IRGC has established a de facto blockade of the Strait, requiring all commercial ships to obtain Iranian approval before transiting — in clear violation of UNCLOS transit passage rights
- India's statement reflects the government's balancing act: condemning the attacks in principle while continuing diplomatic negotiations with Iran for safe passage of India-bound tankers
Static Topic Bridges
Kandla (Deendayal) Port: India's Petroleum Gateway
Kandla, officially renamed Deendayal Port Authority in 2017, is located on Kandla Creek in the Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat. It is consistently among India's highest-volume ports and serves as the primary gateway for petroleum product imports into western and northern India. Several major oil refineries in India's northwest are supplied primarily through Kandla. The port's geographic proximity to the Arabian Sea entry route from the Persian Gulf makes it particularly vulnerable to any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
- Official name: Deendayal Port Authority (DPA)
- Renamed after: Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya (ideologue of the RSS and Jan Sangh)
- Location: Kandla Creek, Gulf of Kutch, Kutch district, Gujarat
- Status: One of India's 12 Major Ports under the Major Port Trusts Act
- Key cargo: Crude oil, petroleum products, fertilisers, food grains
- Nearby refineries supplied: Nayara Energy (Vadinar, 20 MMTPA capacity — India's 2nd largest refinery)
- Gulf of Kutch: Semi-enclosed bay on Gujarat's western coast; natural harbour
Connection to this news: An attack on a ship bound specifically for Kandla is an attack on India's petroleum supply chain — the incident gives India a direct stake in resolving the Hormuz crisis, beyond abstract principles of freedom of navigation.
Maritime Security and the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea
Freedom of navigation is a fundamental pillar of the international maritime order. UNCLOS (1982) establishes that ships of all states enjoy the right of "transit passage" through international straits used for international navigation — an even stronger right than "innocent passage." The Strait of Hormuz is explicitly an international strait under UNCLOS. Iran's blockade violates Article 38 (transit passage) and Article 44 (non-suspension of transit passage). The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), based in Dubai, coordinates maritime security in the region and has been tracking the wave of attacks on commercial shipping.
- UNCLOS Part III: Governs straits used for international navigation
- Article 38: Right of transit passage — all ships and aircraft
- Article 44: Prohibition on suspension of transit passage (unlike innocent passage which can be suspended)
- UKMTO (UK Maritime Trade Operations): Monitors and coordinates maritime security in Gulf; Dubai-based
- IMB (International Maritime Bureau): Tracks piracy and armed robbery against ships; under ICC
- "War risk zone" designation: Lloyd's Market Association — once a zone is designated, insurance premiums spike dramatically
Connection to this news: Iran's blockade — requiring approval from IRGC before transit — effectively suspends transit passage rights, which UNCLOS explicitly prohibits (Article 44), making it one of the clearest violations of international maritime law in the modern era.
India's Major Port Infrastructure
India has 12 Major Ports (under the central government) and 205+ non-major or minor ports (under state governments). The Major Ports handle approximately 61% of India's total maritime cargo. Under the Sagarmala Programme (launched 2015), India has been systematically modernising and expanding port capacity. Ports under consideration for India's energy security during the Hormuz crisis include Kochi (Kerala), Vadinar/Kandla (Gujarat), Mumbai (JNPT), and Mangaluru (Karnataka) — all of which normally receive Gulf crude.
- 12 Major Ports: Kolkata, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, Kamarajar (Ennore), Chennai, V.O. Chidambaranar (Tuticorin), Kochi, New Mangalore, NMPT, JNPT (Mumbai), Mumbai, Mormugao (Goa), Deendayal (Kandla)
- Sagarmala Programme (2015): Port-led development; aims to reduce logistics cost from ~14% to ~8% of GDP
- India's port capacity (2024): approximately 2,500 MTPA (up from ~1,600 MTPA in 2014)
- Nayara Energy (Vadinar): 20 MMTPA capacity; receives crude via Kandla; India's 2nd largest refinery
- Kochi Refinery (BPCL): West coast refinery dependent on Gulf crude via Kochi port
Connection to this news: The attack on a Kandla-bound ship does not just affect one cargo — it represents a threat to the supply chain for multiple refineries in western India that process Gulf crude into petrol, diesel, LPG, and aviation fuel for hundreds of millions of Indians.
Key Facts & Data
- Port attacked vessel was headed to: Kandla (Deendayal) Port, Gujarat
- India's statement: "Deplorable" — commercial vessels must not be targeted
- Conflict start: February 27, 2026 (US-Israel strikes on Iran)
- IRGC tankers attacked: approximately 14 since conflict began
- Strait of Hormuz width: ~34 km at narrowest
- UNCLOS Article 44: Prohibits suspension of transit passage through international straits
- UKMTO reports of attacks on shipping: 16 attacks + 4 suspicious incidents by March 12
- Nayara Energy (Vadinar) capacity: 20 MMTPA — India's 2nd largest refinery, supplied via Kandla
- India's 12 Major Ports handle: approximately 61% of India's total maritime cargo