No fees or permissions needed for Indian ships in Strait of Hormuz: Govt

New Delhi: Indian vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz face no permission requirements or payments to Iran, despite West Asia tensions—movements hinge solely on safety assessments, a senior official clarified Tuesday.

Shipping Ministry Special Secretary Rajesh Kumar Sinha stressed the strait’s status as an international waterway with demarked lanes. "No permission is required to sail through the strait…There is freedom for navigation through the strait. Since the strait is narrow, only the entry and exit lanes are demarked which need to be followed by shipping lines…it is the decision of the charterer and shipping company when to sail or when not to sail," he said, dismissing rumors of Tehran-mandated fees or checkpoints.

Two LPG tankers, Pine Gas and Jag Vasant (carrying 92,600 tonnes total), crossed Monday via Iran’s territorial waters between Larak and Qeshm islands, en route to Kandla and New Mangalore ports. They follow Shvalik and Nanda Devi, aided by India-Iran diplomacy—including PM Modi’s talks with President Pezeshkian.

Twenty India-flagged vessels remain in the Persian Gulf, holding 540 Indian seafarers: five LPG tankers (2.3 lakh tonnes), four crude carriers, one LNG tanker, and others. The strait handles 40% of India’s crude, 55-60% LNG, and 90% LPG imports.

Iran insists the strait stays open to non-hostile ships complying with safety measures, barring US/Israel-linked vessels. Its Delhi embassy rejected payment claims as "unfounded." Foreign Minister Araghchi told CBS that Tehran welcomes safe-passage talks; India’s S Jaishankar noted each transit is handled individually.

Vessels from Pakistan, Turkey, and Greece have taken similar circuitous routes, signaling Iranian verification amid attacks on neutral ships.