NEW DELHI : The Indian Government is considering deploying Indian Navy ships to escort ships stranded in the Persian Gulf, said a senior government official. Decision will be taken in two days, the source said. Shipping industry sources estimate that some 10% of the oil tankers and gas carriers stranded in the Persian Gulf are Indian flagged. State-owned Shipping Corporation of India is among the major global ship owners whose ships amounting to more than 8 lakh tonnes of cargo carrying capacity are among the stranded, as per data from Lloyds List Intelligence. This would be equivalent to nearly 6 million barrels of oil.
The International Maritime Organization estimates nearly 20,000 seafarers are onboard the stranded ships. Given that India is a major source of seafarers to global shipping, Indian seafarers stranded would amount to several thousands.
The Indian Navy has conducted extensive operations defending merchant ships including those with Indian seafarers against Houthi attacks as well as Somalian pirates. Operation Sankalp, which was launched to ensure maritime security in the Gulf region, included action against Houthi rebels.
Meanwhile, Iran’s promise to not attack neighbours in the Persian Gulf may give confidence for ships stuck there to move across the Strait of Hormuz and sail away, another highly placed source and decisionmaker in the government said.
