ADVERTISEMENTThis was followed by a second phone call between external affairs minister S. Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart since the conflict began, Bloomberg reported. No crude oil tankers, however, had transited the route in the previous 24 hours, underscoring the continued fragility of maritime movement. Jaishankar has maintained that there is no blanket agreement between New Delhi and Tehran on the safe passage of Indian vessels. Around 20 India-flagged ships remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, including six LPG carriers, one LNG vessel and four crude oil tankers. Before the US sanctions, India maintained longstanding energy ties with Iran and imported significant volumes of its crude.

Source: The Telegraph March 20, 2026 18:19 UTC