Iran Fails in Bargaining Gambit Over Shipping with India
India has said it will not enter into a bargaining process with Iran on shipping matters.
The spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, Randhir Jaiswal, said that India was not in the business of bargaining over exchanges, after discussions the Ministry had with the Iranian Ambassador to India, Dr. Mohammad Fathali, in New Delhi on March 16.
The Iranian Ambassador had sought to set up the release of three Iranian-owned oil product tankers, which India seized in February on suspicion of carrying illegal ship-to-ship transfers and for concealing or altering their ship registrations. All three vessels are US Treasury/OFAC-sanctioned, and their seizure potentially played a part in India being granted sanctions relaxations at about the same time. The Aruba-registered Asphalt Star (IMO 9463528), Nicaraguan-registered Chiltern, until recently known as the Al Jafzia (IMO 9171498), and the Iranian-flagged Stellar Ruby (IMO 9555199), are all being held off Mumbai. The Iranian Ambassador had also sought emergency medical supplies.
Several days before the Ambassador’s meeting in New Delhi, Indian Prime Minister Modi concluded a round of calls with Bahrain, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar. He then held a robust follow-up with Iranian President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian, urging him to stop attacks on neighboring countries, and demanding the release of 22 Indian-flagged vessels and 611 Indian crew members trapped in the Gulf.
Besides impounding the three tankers, India is also still holding 50 of the 183 crew members and naval cadets from the interned Iranian Navy ship IRINS Bushehr (K422) in Kochi.
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The other key card held by the Indians is their powerful navy, which has sufficient well-equipped ships to be able to escort Indian-flagged vessels trapped in the Gulf while effectively defending them, with an additional capacity to respond should there be any Iranian attempt to interdict a transit. Having such a powerful capability and being willing to use it no doubt was a persuasive factor in the Iranian accession this week to the notice given by India of their intention to escort out through the Strait of Hormuz the Indian-flagged LPG tankers the Shivalik (IMO 9356892) and the Nanda Devi (IMO 9232503), both owned by the parastatal Shipping Corporation of India (SCI), India’s largest shipping company. A third Indian tanker carrying crude, the Jag Laadki (IMO 9461764), was also escorted out in the same operation.
A formidable escort appears to have been provided by three Visakhapatnam Class destroyers, platforms each equipped with 32 Barak 8 surface-to-air missiles and 16 BrahMos anti-ship missiles with a range of 180 miles. During the operation, it was evident that air cover was being provided by Sikorsky SH-60 Seahawks flying from the escorts. The ships involved are believed to be INS Visakhapatnam (D66), INS Imphal (D68) and INS Surat (D69). The Indian Defence Ministry indicated that a further six of the trapped 22 Indian vessels would be coming out of the Gulf in the next few days.
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