New Delhi: Iran has allowed two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas carriers to sail through the Strait of Hormuz, four sources with direct knowledge of the matter said, a rare exception to the Iranian blockade that has disrupted global energy supplies. The Indian flagged LPG tanker Shivalik crossed the Strait under escort from the Indian Navy, said two of the sources, and the second vessel, Nanda Devi, was expected to clear in the next few hours.
Since the United States and Israel launched a bombing campaign on Iran, Tehran has largely halted traffic through the strait, which runs past its coast and normally supplies around 20% of global oil and seaborne liquefied natural gas. Iran has said it will not permit any supplies for the United States or its allies to leave the strait, but India has sought exemptions. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Thursday he had spoken to Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and discussed the transit of goods and energy from the Gulf. India has also given safe harbour to 183 Iranian sailors from a vessel that docked after the war broke out. The vessel was one of three that had participated in exercises in India; one of the others was sunk by a US torpedo off Sri Lanka.
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