Two Indian ships cross Strait of Hormuz as Iran says it allowed passage

Iran’s envoy to New Delhi says Tehran allowed some Indian vessels to pass the Strait in a rare exception to the blockade.Published On 14 Mar 2026New Delhi says two Indian-flagged tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) bound for ports in the country’s west have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in Iran.“They crossed the Strait of Hormuz early morning safely and are en route to India,” Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said at a news briefing in New Delhi on Saturday.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4How Israel-US war on Iran puts $50bn in Indian remittances at risklist 2 of 4Analysts say US threat of ‘no quarter’ for Iran violates international lawlist 3 of 4How will soaring oil prices caused by Iran war impact food costs?list 4 of 4Force majeure: What is it and why have some Gulf countries invoked it?end of listTehran has largely halted traffic through the key sea route that normally carries one-fifth of global oil supplies since the United States and Israel launched an attack on Iran late last month.The war has prompted a critical shortage of cooking gas in India, a country with longstanding ties to Iran.Also on Saturday, Iran’s ambassador to India, Mohammad ⁠Fathali, said Tehran had allowed some Indian vessels to pass the Strait of Hormuz in a rare exception to the blockade that has disrupted global ‌energy supplies.Fathali, speaking at a conclave organised by the India Today media group in ⁠New Delhi, did not confirm the number of vessels that have been provided safe passage.About 20 percent of global oil and seaborne liquefied natural ‌gas (LNG) ‌is traded through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran said it will not permit any supplies for the US or its allies to leave the strait, but India had sought exemptions.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said he had spoken ‌to Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and discussed the transit of goods and energy from the Gulf.Last week, the Indian government invoked emergency powers and directed refiners to maximise production of LPG to prevent a shortage of the cooking fuel. It cut sales to ⁠industry to avoid a shortage for its 333 million homes with LPG connections.