NEW DELHI: So far 30 India-bound ships have crossed the Strait of Hormuz and 26 wait to cross the critical sea route, sources in the shipping ministry said. While half of the ships that have transited the strait carried LPG and LNG, eight had bulk cargo and seven were crude tankers.Officials said while 19 transits happened between March 1 and June 17, following the signing of the Iran-US MoU 11 ships have crossed the strait safely. Among the 30 that have reached or are heading to Indian ports, 17 are foreign-flagged vessels, including a maximum of five Marshall Islands-flagged ships.TOI has learnt that of the 26 vessels of Indian interest — both Indian-flagged and India-bound foreign-flagged ships — that remain in the Persian Gulf (west of Strait of Hormuz) three are carrying energy, 10 fertilisers and remaining 13 carrying other cargo.The strait, which is an international waterway, accounts for a fifth of the supply of energy globally. For India, its key partners for procurement of LNG and LPG emanate from the Gulf countries.
