Kandla (Gurpreet Singh) — A commercial vessel carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has successfully docked at the Deendayal Port Authority in Kandla, Gujarat, after navigating the highly volatile Strait of Hormuz. Port officials confirmed on Sunday that the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel, MV SYMI, safely completed its journey from Qatar, arriving at the Indian port around 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. The successful transit represents a critical energy delivery for the region amidst the escalating security crisis in West Asia.
The vessel crossed the strategic Strait of Hormuz on May 13, a narrow but vital maritime passage situated near the Omani coast that facilitates the transit of approximately one-fifth of global energy supplies. Maritime traffic through the waterway has faced severe disruptions since early March due to heightened geopolitical conflict in the region. The crisis intensified following joint military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran, triggering widespread retaliatory strikes and fuelling one of the most severe global energy disruptions witnessed in recent decades.
Despite the precarious security environment, Indian maritime corridors have maintained a persistent presence in the area to safeguard national interests. Since the onset of the current disruptions, 13 India-flagged vessels—comprising 12 LPG tankers and one crude oil tanker—have successfully navigated through the strait to secure domestic energy requirements. However, the risks to commercial shipping remain high, as evidenced by a recent incident on May 13 involving an India-flagged commercial vessel that came under attack off the coast of Oman. Omani authorities managed to rescue all 14 crew members following that strike, though the perpetrators remain unidentified.
The escalating threat to merchant shipping has drawn sharp condemnation from Indian diplomatic channels on the international stage. Speaking at a special meeting of the United Nations Economic and Social Council focused on safeguarding energy and supply flows, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Parvathaneni Harish, strongly denounced the disruption of maritime trade routes. The ambassador stated that the targeting of commercial shipping, the endangerment of civilian crews, and any impediments to the freedom of navigation within the Strait of Hormuz are entirely unacceptable.
