Tehran:In a rare glimmer of hope amid the Iran-US conflict's chokehold on global energy routes, the Liberian-flagged tanker Shenlong Suezmax, captained by an Indian mariner, successfully navigated the perilous Strait of Hormuz and berthed at Mumbai port on Wednesday (March 11), marking the first such India-bound crude shipment since hostilities erupted. Loaded with 135,335 metric tonnes of Saudi Arabian crude from Ras Tanura port on March 1, the vessel slipped through the strait on March 8, briefly vanishing from tracking radars before resurfacing on March 9, a maneuver likely designed to evade detection in waters where Iran has targeted merchant ships and restricted non-China-bound oil transit, crippling nearly 20 per cent of the world's crude flow.
Tense transit through the 'Strait of Hormuz'The Shenlong, owned by Shenlong Shipping Ltd and managed by Athens-based Dynacom Tanker Management, exemplifies the high-stakes cat-and-mouse game in the strait since US and Israeli strikes on Iran triggered maritime chaos. Maritime trackers like Lloyd’s List Intelligence and TankerTrackers confirmed its last pre-dark signal inside the strait on March 8; it then disabled its AIS transponders, a common spoofing tactic amid jamming and threats, before reappearing en route to Mumbai. With 29 crew members including Indians, Pakistanis, and Filipinos under Captain Sukshant Singh Sandhu, the tanker docked at 1:00 pm and commenced berthing at Jawahar Dweep by 6:06 pm, as confirmed by Mumbai Port Authority's Deputy Conservator Praveen Singh, with discharge to Mahul refineries slated to take 36 hours.
Indian vessels in perilThis breakthrough offers fleeting relief to India, Asia’s third-largest economy where over half of crude and gas imports traverse the strait, but underscores ongoing vulnerabilities with 28 Indian-flagged vessels still trapped or lingering nearby per the Directorate General of Shipping. Eight such ships east of the strait at war's onset have escaped to safer waters: Desh Mahima, Desh Abhiman, Swarna Kamal, Vishva Prerna, Jag Viraat, Jag Lokesh and LNGC Aseem reached the Arabian Sea, while Jag Lakshya headed to Angola, many employing AIS deactivation or Chinese vessel masquerades. No official sailing bans exist, but officials urge threat assessments and situational awareness, as black marketing, fuel rationing, and price surges ripple through farming, exports, and industries.
Implications for India’s energy securityThe Shenlong's arrival, handled by Atlantic Global Shipping's Jitendra Jadhav in Mumbai, could temper immediate shortages fueling parliamentary furor- echoing Congress demands for debate on farmer woes, LPG queues and 30 per cent raw material cost spikes- but sustained strait blockades threaten deeper disruptions. As the Shipping Ministry weighs responses, this lone tanker's stealthy passage highlights maritime ingenuity amid geopolitical fires, potentially stabilizing refineries while 28 compatriots await their turn to break free from the war-torn chokepoint.
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