Two Indian-flagged LPG carriers, Jag Vasant and Pine Gas, are currently navigating one of the world’s most sensitive maritime corridors, the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-tracking data, Bloomberg reported. Representative image. (Reuters) (REUTERS)
The vessels are part of a small but steady flow of tankers that have continued transiting the strait along routes understood to be cleared by Iran, the report says. These routes run close to Iran’s southern coastline, particularly near the islands of Qeshm and Larak, a path seen as relatively safer amid ongoing regional tensions.
Data show that both ships began moving northwards from the UAE coast early on Monday, aligning with this coastal route strategy. Instead of broadcasting a specific destination, both vessels signaled Indian ownership through their transponders, which is a precautionary measure increasingly adopted by ships in the region to reduce exposure to potential threats.
Their likely destination is India, which is currently facing LPG concerns and has been in discussions with Tehran to secure additional supplies of the fuel, widely used for cooking.
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As per the latest positional data on Martime Traffic, the Pine Gas crossed the Hormuz by evening of March 23, and was located in the Gulf of Oman.
In contrast, the Jag Vasant was in the Persian Gulf, with its last reported position logged only in Morning morning.