'Missiles, drones flying overhead': How Indian-flagged LPG tanker escaped Strait of Hormuz via channel off Iran coast

AN Indian-flagged LPG tank driver, which had expected to take back place within a hebdomad, was delayed for o'er three times that duration due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, caused by the ongoing Iran–US conflict.Pine Gas, one of the LPG carriers that recently navigated the tense waterway had reportedly loaded cargo at the UAE Ruwais port just one day before Israel and the US launched a surprise attack on Iran, triggering a war that has since impacted several countries in the Gulf. Follow live updates on Iran-US war here.Pine Gas's journey was delayed as tensions between Iran and the US disrupted the movement of vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, triggering oil concerns across the world. The tanker's delay became even more critical amid fears of an LPG shortage in India.Even so, the vessel with 27 crew members managed to the transit and along with another Indian-flagged vessel Jag Vasant, managed to carry LPG to India. As reported by HT earlier, while the JAG Vasant reached Kandla with 47,612 tonnes of LPG, the Pine Gas arrived in New Mangalore with 45,000 tonnes of LPG. Unusual route to IndiaWhile Pine Gas managed to reach India, the journey was full of risks for the vessel and its crew, who reportedly saw “missiles and drones flying overhead" every day as they awaited clearance for movement.Pine Gas Chief Officer Sohan Lal told news agency Reuters that the vessel was scheduled to set sail on March 11 but the raging Iran-US conflict delayed the voyage and wasn't until March 23 that the ship was cleared to move.According to Lal, the vessel was not granted passage through normal Hormuz shipping routes, but was asked by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) to navigate a narrow channel north of Larak Island off Iran’s coast.The Indian authorities and the vessel owner, Mumbai‑based Seven Islands Shipping, left the decision to the ship crew. “They needed a yes or a no from all crew,” Lal was quoted as saying by Reuters. “Everyone onboard agreed.”Indian warships escorted ship, no fee chargedAccording to the Reuters report, Pine Gas was escorted out to the Arabian Sea from the Gulf of Oman by four Indian warships who monitored the passage for 20 hours.The Indian government had earlier said it was deploying more warships to the Gulf of Oman for the safe passage of its fuel carriers as it expects Iran to allow them to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.The Pine Gas chief officer also said that no fee was charged for the passage of the ship. India had earlier clarified that Iran got nothing “in exchange” for allowing its vessels to pass. There was no “blanket arrangement” with Iran on the matter, external affairs minister S Jaishankar had told Financial Times.