Did India-linked LPG supertanker 'Sarv Shakti' cross Strait of Hormuz? What we know so far

An India-linked supertanker carrying 45,000 tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) is attempting to exit from the Strait of Hormuz, according to maritime trackers.

This is the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel Sarv Shakti (IMO: 9350599), which departed from the Ghantoot Port in the UAE.

If successful, it will become the first India-linked ship to cross the Strait of Hormuz after the enforcement of the US Navy blockade—one of the major reasons for the ongoing tensions in the US-Iran ceasefire.

The very large gas carrier (VLGC), whose cargo belongs to the state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), has previously travelled between Indian ports and the Persian Gulf, and has broadcast that it is carrying Indian crew members, as per a Bloomberg report.

Some maritime trackers also claim that the Sarv Shakti, which was earlier seen travelling northward—towards the Gulf of Oman—has already crossed the embattled strait.

However, THE WEEK could not yet confirm this, due to the possibility of electronic interference in the region that could mess up AIS readings.

Despite New Delhi diversifying its crude and LPG imports, in addition to ramping up domestic LPG production, the safe passage of this supertanker is expected to provide a major boost for one of the world's largest importers of the cooking fuel.

In that regard, ports have also been instructed to prioritise cargo operations for inbound vessels from the Middle East, over the course of the tensions in the Gulf, which have crossed two months.

Notably, despite being one of the five friendly nations that Iran had earlier permitted to transit through the strait, pressure from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on India-linked tankers complicated matters.

Two Indian-flagged vessels—the oil tanker Sanmar Herald (IMO: 9330563) and the bulk carrier Jag Arnav (IMO: 9705354)—also received gunfire from IRGC gunboats, forcing them to turn back.

AIS data still shows these vessels stuck in the Persian Gulf. Notably, only the Aframax tanker Desh Garima (IMO: 9467756) had managed to slip through at the time, by reportedly switching off its AIS transponder.

The report added that the full transit of the Sarv Shakti through the strait could take about 10-14 hours, but has sparked questions on the possibility of more such India-linked vessels transiting the strait as the US and Iran remain on the brink of war, yet again.