In the Strait of Hormuz, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards fired on two ships—primarily oil tankers. Due to this, two Indian ships had to turn back midway on their journey. One of these ships was a huge, Indian-flagged tanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi oil. On Saturday, Iran announced it was reimposing tighter sanctions on the Gulf region. Iran said that this step is being taken because the United States has imposed a blockade on its ports and ships. Shortly thereafter, two gunboats—small, heavily armed ships—of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards approached a tanker and began firing on it.
What happened to that tanker?
UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO)—a branch of the British military—reported that the tanker that came under fire and its crew were safe. However, he did not give any information about the name of the ship or its destination. Nevertheless, according to reports, one of the ships involved in the incident is an Indian ship.
What was the impact on Indian ships?
TankerTrackers.com—a website that tracks the real-time location of ships at sea—reported that the two Indian ships were attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Upon receiving news of the firing, both ships changed course and returned. One of these ships is a huge, Indian-flagged tanker carrying two million barrels of Iraqi oil. The oil was purchased from Iraq and was to be delivered to another country; But, now this ship has returned in the middle of its journey.
What is the situation now?
Tension has once again increased in the Gulf region. Iran has made it clear that no ship can pass through this strait without its permission. At present, there has been no response from the United States. The two-week ceasefire is scheduled to end on Wednesday, April 22. If no agreement is reached by then, the situation could worsen, which could have a major impact on the global oil market. The Strait of Hormuz is a very narrow passage to the sea; It connects the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world. About one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through this route. If this route is closed, global oil supply will be severely affected and prices could skyrocket.
What has happened in the last seven weeks?
The United States and Israel jointly launched attacks against Iran. As a result of this conflict, Iran significantly tightened its military control over the Strait of Hormuz. Iran allowed passage only to ships that it had explicitly approved; While the movement of all other ships was stopped.