In a significant demonstration of diplomatic agility and naval readiness, India has secured the safe passage of two state-owned LPG tankers Shivalik and Nanda Devi through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical and currently volatile shipping corridors. The two vessels crossed the strait carrying a combined cargo of approximately 92,700 metric tonnes of LPG destined for Gujarat’s Mundra and Kandla ports.
The breakthrough came after External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar led direct diplomatic engagement with Iranian counterparts, even as the United States and Israel initiated coordinated airstrikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury on 28 February 2026, targeting military facilities, nuclear sites and leadership. With 22 Indian vessels still stranded in the region and more naval deployments under way, the crisis is far from over but India’s approach of calibrated neutrality has begun to pay off.
The Naval Operation Behind the Safe Passage
Both vessels, Shivalik and Nanda Devi belong to the Shipping Corporation of India and represent the first India-bound LPG shipments to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in nearly two weeks. A naval warship equipped with advanced air defence systems escorted the tankers while they navigated the narrow maritime corridor.
The Shivalik has since safely docked at Mundra Port, carrying 46,000 metric tonnes of LPG ordered by the Indian Oil Corporation, of which 20,000 MT was unloaded at Mundra and 26,000 MT routed onwards to Mangaluru. India is now sending additional warships to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea, with the total number of Indian warships in the region set to increase to six or seven, deployed under Operation Sankalp a 2019 mission originally launched to safeguard merchant shipping in Gulf waters.
Jaishankar, PM Modi, and Iran’s Conditions
India’s success rests as much on conversations as on warships. In an interview with the Financial Times, Jaishankar described the tanker passage as a direct result of diplomatic effort, stating that his engagement with Iranian counterparts had yielded tangible results, while clarifying there is no formal blanket arrangement and that each ship movement is negotiated individually.
Prime Minister Modi personally engaged at the highest level, discussing the situation with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and exploring ways to secure safe passage through the strait. Iran’s conditions have been unambiguous, vessels belonging to countries actively attacking Iran would not be permitted through, but India, maintaining its neutral stance, was not among them.
Iran’s Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, confirmed that Indian ships could expect safe passage, noting that India and Iran share common interests in the region. In a goodwill gesture that likely helped ease tensions further, India repatriated approximately 180 crew members of an Iranian warship that had sought sanctuary in Indian waters after hostilities erupted. Analysts have widely described Iran’s accommodation of Indian vessels as a direct vindication of India’s long-standing policy of neutrality.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At a time when much of the world is rushing to pick sides in a conflict that threatens to destabilise global energy markets, India’s quiet, consistent diplomacy stands out as a reminder that neutrality is not weakness, it is often the most powerful card a nation can play.
By maintaining respectful relations with Tehran, Washington and Tel Aviv simultaneously, India has managed to protect the fuel that lights homes and fills cylinders for millions of its citizens, without firing a single shot or making an enemy. This is not luck, it is the dividend of years of principled, relationship-first foreign policy. As the crisis continues and 22 Indian vessels remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, the road ahead will demand even more creative dialogue and resolve.
