Ahmedabad: The Indian-flagged crude carrier Jag Laadki reached Mundra Port on Wednesday with more than 80,000 metric tonnes of crude oil from the UAE, safely transiting what is currently the world’s most sensitive maritime chokepoint.
Earlier this week, LPG tanker MT Nanda Devi docked at Vadinar with about 46,500 metric tonnes of cargo, while MT Shivalik brought a similar consignment to Mundra, together delivering volumes equivalent to more than three million domestic gas cylinders and helping stabilise household and commercial demand.
Port and shipping officials see these high-capacity calls as essential buffers against any sudden dip in Middle East energy flows triggered by the ongoing conflict.
Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz initially fell sharply when hostilities flared, but vessel movements have proved more resilient than many expected, with nearly 90 ships reported to have crossed the corridor in recent weeks despite heightened risk. Many tankers are now believed to be sailing “dark”, switching off public tracking systems to sidestep Western restrictions or reduce their visibility as potential targets, according to reports.
US president Donald Trump has repeatedly urged a coordinated global response to safeguard the strategic waterway, arguing that keeping Hormuz open is critical to calm rattling oil markets and avert deeper international energy shock. Yet the turmoil has not fully choked Iranian exports either, with Tehran estimated to have shipped more than 16 million barrels of crude since March, much of it headed to China, its most dependable buyer.
