Strait of Hormuz technically open, but not operating: National shipowners' body head
The head of the national shipowners' association described the Strait of Hormuz as "technically open but not operating," reflecting the paradox of a passage ...
What Happened
- The head of the national shipowners' association described the Strait of Hormuz as "technically open but not operating," reflecting the paradox of a passage that remains formally open yet has become functionally dangerous for commercial shipping.
- Since the outbreak of the US-Israel-Iran conflict in late February 2026, vessel transits through the Strait have collapsed from approximately 3,000 per month to just 191 in the entire month of April 2026.
- Indian-flagged vessels have experienced targeted disruptions despite Iran announcing in March 2026 that ships from five countries — including India — would be permitted to transit. An Indian-flagged oil tanker was attacked on April 18, 2026, highlighting the gap between official assurances and ground realities.
- Seafarers are exhibiting significant hesitation due to safety fears, resulting in shipping lanes that are nominally open but operationally avoided, driving up risk premiums and insurance costs for shipowners.
- India has deployed six naval vessels to the Persian Gulf for monitoring and escort duties and proposed a priority vessel evacuation corridor through Oman's territorial waters.
Static Topic Bridges
Strait of Hormuz — Strategic Geography and Significance as a Chokepoint
A maritime chokepoint is a narrow navigational passage along a major sea route whose disruption can have outsized consequences for global trade and energy security. The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran to the north and Oman and the UAE to the south, is the world's single most important oil transit chokepoint. At its narrowest, the strait is approximately 34 kilometres (21 miles) wide, with two 3-kilometre-wide shipping lanes for inbound and outbound traffic.
- Location: between Iran (north) and the Oman-UAE peninsula (south), connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and thence to the Arabian Sea.
- Oil transit volume: approximately 20.1 million barrels per day (mbd) in Q1 2025, representing more than one-quarter of total global seaborne oil trade and approximately one-fifth of global oil consumption.
- Primary exporters using the strait: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar, Iran, Bahrain.
- Major destination: Asian countries receive 89.2% of crude oil transiting the strait — China (37.7%), India (14.7%), South Korea (12.0%), Japan (10.9%).
- LNG significance: approximately 93% of Qatar's LNG exports and 96% of the UAE's LNG exports transit the Strait, representing about 19% of global LNG trade.
- No viable bypass for Persian Gulf oil exporters: the only alternative (Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline to Yanbu on the Red Sea) has limited capacity and does not serve other Gulf producers.
Connection to this news: India's position as the second-largest destination for Hormuz-transiting oil (14.7% of flows) makes the strait's functional closure a direct energy security crisis for India — not merely a geopolitical abstraction.
India's Energy Import Dependence and Strategic Petroleum Reserves
India imports approximately 85% of its crude oil requirements, making it the world's third-largest oil importer after China and the United States. Prior to the 2026 Hormuz crisis, approximately 60% of India's crude imports originated from the Persian Gulf region. To buffer against supply shocks, India has built underground Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs), managed by Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserves Limited (ISPRL) under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
- SPR locations and capacity:
- Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh): 1.33 million metric tonnes (MMT)
- Mangaluru (Karnataka): 1.50 MMT
- Padur (Karnataka): 2.50 MMT
- Total Phase-I SPR capacity: 5.33 MMT
- Days of coverage (SPR alone): approximately 9–10 days of net crude import requirements.
- Total reserve when including commercial stocks held by refiners: approximately 74 days.
- Phase-II SPR expansion (in progress): Chandikhol (Odisha) and expanded Padur — adding 6.5 MMT of capacity under a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
- India's crude oil import volume: approximately 4.6–4.7 million barrels per day (mbd) in 2024-25.
- India is the world's third-largest oil consumer (after the US and China).
Connection to this news: India's SPR covers only 9–10 days of supply at full capacity, making it an inadequate buffer against a prolonged Hormuz blockage. The crisis has accelerated India's import diversification away from the Gulf towards Russia, Venezuela, Brazil, and Nigeria.
Freedom of Navigation and the International Legal Framework
Freedom of navigation (FON) in international straits is governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), adopted in 1982 and entering into force in November 1994. Under UNCLOS Part III, international straits used for international navigation are subject to the right of "transit passage" — a more absolute right than innocent passage — meaning all ships and aircraft have continuous and expeditious passage without prior consent of the strait's coastal state.
- UNCLOS: adopted December 10, 1982 at Montego Bay, Jamaica; entered into force November 16, 1994; 168 parties as of 2026.
- India ratified UNCLOS: June 29, 1995.
- Transit passage (UNCLOS Articles 37–44): applies to straits used for international navigation between one area of the high seas/EEZ and another; cannot be suspended by the coastal state (unlike innocent passage in territorial seas, which can be suspended under Article 25(3)).
- The Strait of Hormuz falls squarely within the transit passage regime — Iran's closure notifications have no legal standing under UNCLOS, though enforcement remains practically difficult.
- Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ): extends 200 nautical miles from the baseline; flag state jurisdiction applies to vessels within the EEZ of another state for purposes of navigation.
Connection to this news: Iran's actions — including the boarding of merchant vessels and laying of sea mines — constitute violations of UNCLOS transit passage rights. India's diplomatic protest (summoning the Iranian envoy) invokes this international legal framework, though practical enforcement requires multilateral naval coordination.
India's Naval Deployment and the Indian Ocean Region Security Architecture
India's deployment of six naval vessels to the Persian Gulf reflects both the immediate crisis response and India's broader Indian Ocean Region (IOR) security posture. The Indian Navy's operational reach has expanded significantly, with Overseas Coordination Centres at key locations and active participation in multinational anti-piracy operations (Operation Sankalp in the Gulf of Oman since 2019).
- Operation Sankalp: launched June 2019; Indian Navy's ongoing mission for the safe transit of Indian-flagged vessels and vessels carrying Indian cargo in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf.
- Indian Navy's Information Fusion Centre for IOR (IFC-IOR): established 2018 at Gurugram; shares maritime domain awareness data with partner navies.
- India's Maritime Zones Act, 1976: defines India's EEZ (200 NM), contiguous zone (24 NM), and territorial sea (12 NM) — consistent with UNCLOS.
- Combined Maritime Forces (CMF): US-led multinational naval partnership of 46 nations for maritime security in international waters — India is not a formal member but coordinates informally.
Connection to this news: India's six-vessel Persian Gulf deployment represents an extension of Operation Sankalp principles to an active conflict zone, underscoring the Indian Navy's role as a net security provider in the IOR while also protecting India's critical energy supply lines.
Key Facts & Data
- Strait of Hormuz width at narrowest point: 34 km (21 miles).
- Oil transit volume: ~20.1 million barrels per day (Q1 2025) — ~25% of global seaborne oil trade.
- India's share of Hormuz oil imports: 14.7% of total strait flows (second after China at 37.7%).
- Pre-crisis monthly vessel transits: ~3,000; April 2026 transits: 191.
- India's crude import dependence on Gulf (pre-crisis): ~60%; reduced to below 35% by April 2026.
- India's SPR capacity: 5.33 MMT across three sites (Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, Padur).
- SPR coverage: 9–10 days of net crude imports; total reserves (SPR + commercial): ~74 days.
- UNCLOS adopted: December 10, 1982; in force: November 16, 1994; India ratified: June 29, 1995.
- Indian-flagged tanker attacked in Strait: April 18, 2026.
- Indian Navy vessels deployed to Persian Gulf: 6.