What Happened
- As of early April 2026, 8 Indian-flagged vessels have successfully exited the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, while 16 remain in the western Persian Gulf region
- The crisis was triggered by the US-Israel military strikes on Iran beginning February 28, 2026, followed by Iranian retaliatory measures that effectively disrupted shipping through the Strait
- Iran announced that ships of five nations — China, Russia, India, Iraq, and Pakistan — would be permitted to transit the Strait, with all transits coordinated closely with Iranian authorities
- Green Sanvi, an LPG tanker, became the seventh India-flagged vessel to cross the Strait; each transit has been escorted by Indian Navy warships operating under Operation Sankalp
- India-Iran diplomatic channels have been actively engaged to negotiate safe passage for the remaining 611 Indian seafarers aboard the stranded vessels
- More than 5.72 lakh Indians have returned home from the Gulf region since February 28, as airspace disruptions forced passenger rerouting through multiple countries
Static Topic Bridges
The Strait of Hormuz: The World's Most Critical Oil Chokepoint
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between Iran and the Oman peninsula connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest point, it is only about 33 km wide with two 3-km-wide shipping lanes. Despite its small physical size, it carries roughly 20 million barrels of crude oil and petroleum products per day — nearly 20 percent of global petroleum consumption. Approximately 20 percent of the world's LNG and 25 percent of seaborne oil trade also pass through it annually. Only Saudi Arabia and the UAE have pipeline alternatives capable of bypassing the Strait, with a combined capacity of only 3.5–5.5 million barrels per day — far short of total flow.
- Major exporters through the Strait: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Qatar, Iraq, Bahrain, and Iran
- Major importers: China, India, Japan, and South Korea
- Up to 30 percent of internationally traded fertilisers also transit through the Strait
- The effective closure in 2026 has been called the largest disruption to the global oil market since the 1973 Arab oil embargo
- There are only two narrow shipping lanes (3 km wide each) for inbound and outbound traffic
Connection to this news: The stranded Indian ships are caught in this choke point precisely because the Strait serves as the only sea exit from the Persian Gulf, leaving no viable alternative routing for vessels already inside.
Operation Sankalp: India's Maritime Security Mission
Operation Sankalp is the Indian Navy's ongoing maritime security mission in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf, originally launched on June 19, 2019, during the earlier Iran-US tensions. It was designed to ensure the safe transit of Indian-flagged vessels through the Strait of Hormuz and to monitor the regional security environment. Following the February 2026 escalation, Indian Navy warships under this operation were placed on standby for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. Around 23 warships have been deployed in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf region since the conflict began. Operation Sankalp complements Operation Sindhu, which has evacuated over 4,400 Indian nationals from Iran using special flights including IAF C-17 aircraft.
- Originally launched in 2019 to counter threats from non-state actors in the Gulf of Oman
- Provides naval escort to Indian-flagged merchant vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz
- Works alongside diplomatic channels — India-Iran negotiations are conducted through the Ministry of External Affairs
- Operation Sindhu (evacuation): 19 special flights, 4,415 nationals evacuated (3,597 from Iran, 818 from Israel)
- Cabinet Committee on Security met on March 1, 2026, to review the evolving situation
Connection to this news: Each Indian ship that has successfully crossed the Strait has done so under the escort of Indian Navy warships deployed under Operation Sankalp, demonstrating the direct role of the mission in protecting India's maritime commercial interests.
India's Energy Dependence on the Persian Gulf
India is among the world's largest importers of crude oil, sourcing approximately 85 percent of its crude requirements from abroad. The Gulf region — particularly Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, and Kuwait — accounts for the bulk of these imports. LPG (liquefied petroleum gas), used by millions of households under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, is also heavily sourced from Gulf suppliers. The stranded Indian ships are predominantly LPG tankers, highlighting how disruption at Hormuz translates directly into domestic cooking fuel supply chains.
- India imports around 4.5–5 million barrels of crude per day
- Gulf countries account for approximately 60 percent of India's crude oil imports
- LPG imports are critical for the 10+ crore Ujjwala Yojana beneficiaries in rural India
- The 2026 disruption has prompted the government to track LPG tanker movements and consider strategic reserve drawdowns
- India maintains Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs) at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, and Padur with a combined capacity of 5.33 million tonnes
Connection to this news: The 16 vessels still stranded in the Persian Gulf include LPG tankers critical for domestic fuel supply, making their safe exit a matter of both diplomatic and economic priority for India.
Key Facts & Data
- 8 Indian ships have exited through Hormuz; 16 remain inside the Persian Gulf (as of April 5, 2026)
- 611 Indian seafarers are aboard vessels still inside the Gulf
- Iran extended transit permissions to 5 nations: China, Russia, India, Iraq, Pakistan
- Green Sanvi was the 7th Indian LPG tanker to successfully cross the Strait
- The Strait of Hormuz handles ~20 million barrels/day of oil — ~20% of global petroleum consumption
- India's Strategic Petroleum Reserves capacity: 5.33 million tonnes (Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, Padur)
- Operation Sankalp deployed ~23 warships in the Gulf of Oman/Persian Gulf region
- 5.72 lakh Indians have returned home from the Gulf since February 28, 2026