We have allowed some ships: Iranian envoy Fathali on passage of vessels via Strait of Hormuz

admin — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 02:59:00 +0000

Amid the escalating conflict in West Asia, Iranian ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, on Saturday (March 14, 2026) said Iran has “allowed some ships” to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic trade route.

He, however, did not specify the number of vessels that have been allowed to pass through.

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During an interactive session, Mr. Fathali was asked if Iran has “allowed passage to Indian ships” stranded in the Strait of Hormuz and for how many days, given the looming LPG shortage, and the series of telephonic conversations between the foreign ministers of the two countries.

“Yes, we have allowed, but let me not tell how many,” he said.

During the session, Mr. Fathali made the remarks largely in Persian, which was interpreted in English by Javad Hosseini, the deputy chief of mission at the Iranian embassy in India.

As several India-flagged vessels remain stranded in the Strait of Hormuz due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia, Mr. Fathali on Friday (March 13) had told reporters that “we will try our best” to resolve the issue.

Earlier in the day, a senior official in the Shipping Ministry said two Indian ships — Shivalik and Nanda Devi — carrying LPG from the Gulf countries crossed the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday (March 14) morning, raising the number of Indian vessels safely passing through the war-hit, narrow shipping lane to three.

The remaining 22 ships on the west side of the strait are on standby as the Indian Government engages with governments in the region to ensure their safe passage.

India imports 60% of its LPG needs, with 85-90% of this being sourced from Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which use the Strait of Hormuz as a transit for shipping oil and gas. The strait has been effectively closed since the first week of March.

The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic narrow sea lane between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

During the interactive session, Mr. Fathali also emphasised that Iran and India have historical relations, and added, “I believe Iran and India also have common interests.”

“I also believe if there is any rift or gap between these two countries, their enemies will use it… Both sides have the maturity that they can handle these political and social issues together and solve everything,” he said.

He was also asked about the phone call on Thursday (March 12) night between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, during which they discussed the “serious situation” in West Asia.

“We are now supporting each other,” Mr. Fathali said, and asserted that Indians also feel the pain Iranians are suffering. “We have to enhance the relationship between India and Iran.”

The Iranian envoy, when asked if the country anticipated such an attack, said, “Iran is ready for negotiations and the war. But we prefer negotiations… We had entered into negotiations. But, despite well intentions…” Mr. Fathali said Iran is “ready for this war”, and reiterated that “you can start, but you cannot finish”.

The West Asia conflict began after the U.S. and Israel launched a major military attack on Iran on February 28, killing 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Iran, in retaliation, attacked several Gulf nations hosting American military bases, impacting global aviation operations, oil prices and triggering a looming energy crisis.

On the killing of Khamenei, the envoy said, “We have lost our great figure, our great leader, and I want to say that… great father.” “His Eminence stood on the right side of history… Iranian people and all free nations are deeply saddened over this martyrdom,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Iranian Embassy in India, in a post on X, on Saturday (March 14) said, “Following repeated requests from charitable and benevolent members among our Indian brothers and sisters to provide humanitarian assistance to Iranian compatriots affected by the ongoing war, the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi hereby announces the following bank account number for the deposit of intended cash donations.”

“Bank Account Name: Embassy of Iran Bank Account Number: 11084232535 IFS Code: SBIN0000691 If you wish, you may also send the screenshot or payment receipt via WhatsApp to: +91 98998 12318,” it said.

Published – March 15, 2026 08:29 am IST

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India well-placed to deal with any situation on crude oil, fuel amid West Asia supply shock: Piyush Goyal

admin — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 02:03:00 +0000

Union Minister of Commerce and Industries Piyush Goyal.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Union Minister Piyush Goyal on Saturday (March 14, 2026) said India is well-placed to deal with any situation on crude oil and fuel, as the West Asia crisis disrupts gas shipments and shipping routes, and highlighted that the government has ramped up kerosene production to provide an alternate option for the common man.

Speaking at the CNBC-TV India Business Leaders Awards 2026 ceremony, Mr. Goyal said the government plans to come up with some “concrete agenda” next week to support exporters.

“On crude oil, on fuel, we are pretty well placed. We have good stocks in hand. There’s been absolutely no disturbance of any sort on the crude or the fuel front, petrol, diesel, aviation fuel,” Mr. Goyal said.

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He said that India has ramped up kerosene production so that, in the event of any delays in LPG supplies, there will be an alternate cooking medium for the common man. “Incidentally, we are also covering through imports from diversified sources the requirements of LPG and LNG,” he said.

“The shipping times were barely three or four days, at best seven days, when these shipments of gas came into India, he said, adding that “Now we have to diversify to sources which are significantly far away from India… Canada, the U.S., and possibly Russia, we are looking at various alternate sources which will feed the requirements of India,” he said.

Terming the ongoing geopolitical situation a wake-up call for the country, he said that whenever India faced a challenge, it has always been able to convert that into an opportunity.

“My own sense is that there will be a certain shortfall in economic activity in the short run, but we’ll make up for that in the months to come. [But] We will continue to be the fastest-growing large economy in the world for at least two more decades,” Mr. Goyal said.

Acknowledging that while the country is facing “stress” on the rupee, he said there is no reason for anyone to panic as rupee is expected to bounce back in a more gradual fashion, possibly once the war is over.

“We’ve certainly seen that investments in any period of time, when there is a conflict or a war, usually look for safe haven. We’ve seen a lot of money flow into gold, for instance, and the import of gold and silver has shot up.”

Stating that his Ministry is in dialogue with all the stakeholders, he said, “We’ve been engaging with all the export promotion councils on a daily basis. We have a 24-hour helpline ready to resolve any issues,” he said.

The Commerce Ministry has also worked out certain schemes which will help create an insurance cover should any export cargo be damaged or lost or even inordinately delayed because of the Red Sea problem, the Strait of Hormuz problem or the shipping line difficulties, he said.

“We are doing the inter-ministerial consultation. Next week we’ll be coming out with some more concrete action agenda to support the exporters,” the Minister said.

Published – March 15, 2026 07:29 am IST

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Hormuz blockade – Artifex.News

We have allowed some ships: Iranian envoy Fathali on passage of vessels via Strait of Hormuz

India well-placed to deal with any situation on crude oil, fuel amid West Asia supply shock: Piyush Goyal