India denies Iran seeking release of seized tankers

There has been no discussion of this nature between New Delhi and Tehran, the Indian Foreign Ministry has said

India has denied a report that Iran has sought the release of three oil tankers seized by New Delhi as part of talks on the safe passage for its ships through the Strait of Hormuz.

New Delhi intercepted three vessels 100 nautical miles west of Mumbai following the detection of suspicious activity within India’s exclusive economic zone in February.

“There has been no discussion of this nature,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters on Tuesday. “I would also like to say the three vessels you referred to are not Iranian-owned,” he said.

Traffic has virtually come to a near standstill on either side of the ⁠strait since the beginning of the US-Israeli war against Iran, pushing oil prices to as high as $120 a barrel earlier this month. 

The tankers referred to in the reports (Asphalt Star, Al Jafzia, and Stellar Ruby) were seized near Indian waters for allegedly concealing or altering their identities. The vessels were reportedly involved in illegal ship-to-ship transfers at sea.

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The ships are currently docked off Mumbai, the Hindustan Times reported.

“Many ships are still there in the Strait of Hormuz area. It is our intention to work with Iran and other countries to bring those ships back home safely. This is our objective. Discussions are ongoing on this issue,” Jaiswal said.

The development comes after Iran allowed two Indian-flagged LPG tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Indian Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar said in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday that talks with Iran on safe passage for Indian vessels through the crucial waterway were “ongoing” and “yielding results.” There is no “blanket arrangement” between New Delhi and Tehran on the movement of ships, he said.