Cargo ships in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman’s Musandam governance. File photo for representational purposes only.
| Photo Credit: Reuters
Liquefied petroleum gas tanker Green Asha crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday (April 5, 2026). The India-flagged vessel is carrying 15,400 tonnes of LPG.
Green Asha is the eighth LPG carrier under the India flag that has exited the strait, which has been virtually shut by Iran ever since the U.S. and Israel attacked the country on February 28, triggering a global oil crisis. Before the war, India imported almost 90% of its LPG through the strait.
According to marinetraffic.com, the tanker left the Al Rams port in the United Arab Emirates on March 30 and was sailing at a speed of 12.8 knots (23.7 km per hour). It sailed close to the Iran coast, transiting between Larak, Hormuz, and Qeshm islands.
Green Asha is owned by MOL India Private Limited. According to sources, the ship was chartered by Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited and was originally intended for Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust in Mumbai.
On Saturday, the government had said that Green Sanvi, carrying 46,650 tonnes of LPG with 25 seafarers aboard, had transited the strait.
Another LPG tanker, Jag Vikram carrying around 20,000 tonnes of LPG, is stranded in the Gulf.
On March 19, The Hindu had reported that the government had identified 22 India-bound vessels in the Persian Gulf for evacuation through the Strait of Hormuz. Of these, 20 vessels were critical to India’s energy needs.
Three more foreign-flagged vessels cumulatively carrying 87,000 tonnes of LPG are awaiting a safe passage from the strait.
On Sunday, the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said 17 India-flagged vessels, with 460 Indian seafarers aboard, remain in the western Persian Gulf region. The government said that “DG Shipping, in coordination with ship owners, RPSL agencies and Indian Missions, (is) actively monitoring the situation”.
The Shipping Ministry has taken steps to “safeguard Indian vessels and seafarers operating in the region” and all Indian sailors stuck in the conflict zone are safe with “no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels” reported in the past 24 hours, the government said.
A statement from the government said that “345 Indian fishermen stranded in Iran returned home” with the Indian Embassy in Tehran facilitating their movement from South Iran to Armenia from where they took a flight to Chennai.
Published – April 05, 2026 11:12 pm IST
