India secures safe passage for ships through Strait of Hormuz

India said negotiations with Iran have enabled two Indian-flagged vessels to safely pass through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, as tensions in the region continue to disrupt maritime traffic.

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told the Financial Times that direct talks with Tehran helped secure the transit of two Indian gas tankers through the waterway on Saturday.

“I am at the moment engaged in talking to them and my talking has yielded some results,” Jaishankar said, adding that discussions with Iranian authorities are ongoing.

India relies heavily on imports for its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supply, with about 60 percent of the country’s household cooking fuel sourced from overseas. 

Nearly 90 percent of those imports come from Gulf producers such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, with much of the cargo transported through the Strait of Hormuz.

More than 330 million households in India depend on LPG cylinders for cooking, making uninterrupted shipments through the waterway crucial for domestic energy supplies.

Meanwhile, videos circulating on social media showed long queues outside cooking-gas dealers in several Indian cities as concerns grew over possible supply disruptions.

Some restaurants have also reportedly closed temporarily amid fears of LPG shortages linked to the regional conflict.