Naval ships escort Indian vessels from Gulf of Oman

The Indian Navy has deployed warships to escort Indian-flagged merchant vessels transiting through the Persian Gulf region, according to official sources. 

Three Indian Navy ships have escorted the Indian-flagged merchant ships Shivalik, Nanda Devi, and Jag Laadki from Gulf of Oman after they crossed the Strait of Hormuz. The warships ensured the safe transit of vessels through vulnerable waters.

Though the conflict has been intense in the Persian Gulf west of the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, east of the strait, has also seen attacks. Jag Laadki, carrying more than 80,000 tonnes of crude oil, left the Fujairah terminal in the UAE on Sunday (March 15, 2026). The vessel had a narrow escape when the terminal was attacked while it was loading.

Sources said that naval ship escort to Indian merchant ships will continue to be provided. Some 22 Indian-flagged ships are still stranded west of the strait.

While officials declined to disclose the names of the naval ships involved, a senior official confirmed that the warships were operating in the region under Operation Sankalp, a mission aimed at safeguarding merchant shipping and protecting India’s maritime interests in the Gulf region.

Launched in June 2019, Operation Sankalp ensures the safe passage of Indian-flagged vessels through critical sea lanes, and saw action including during the Houthi attacks.

Meanwhile, LPG carrier Shivalik reached Mundra Port on Monday (March 16, 2026) evening, the government confirmed. Earlier in the day, Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary at the Ministry of Shipping, told reporters in an inter-ministerial briefing that priority berthing and documentation has been arranged to ensure there is no delay in discharging the cargo.

Nanda Devi, another LPG carrier, is expected to reach Kandla port on Tuesday (March 17, 2026). Individually, the vessels are holding 46,000 metric tonnes (MT) of cargo, cumulatively, 92,172 MT.

“Seafarers on board [all the three vessels] are all safe and would reaching tomorrow at Mundra port,” Mr. Sinha said.

The Special Secretary also told reporters that there is “no congestion reported at any of the major ports” with export-bound containers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority having reduced to about 3,900 from 5,600.

He also added that ports are providing safe anchorage for loaded vessels that are unable to proceed because of the situation in West Asia.

Addressing reporters at the same briefing, Sujata Sharma, Joint-Secretary at the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said that cooking gas continues to be an “issue of concern” though supply of LPG to domestic consumers continues uninterrupted. No dry out has been reported among distributors, she added.

Separately, in response to a query, the senior official informed that domestic LPG production had increased 36% since the supply maintenance order.

Responding to queries about U.S. President Donald Trump seeking countries send warships to guard passage of vessels from the Strait of Hormuz, Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson at the External Affairs Ministry, said the issue has not been taken up in any bilateral setting. “We are aware of this matter being discussed by several countries; [however], we have not discussed this in any bilateral setting,” he told reporters.