Three Indian-flagged tankers made it through the Strait of Hormuz, carrying over 860,000 tons of crude oil and 94 Indian sailors,according to Sarbananda Sonowal,Minister of Ports,Shipping and Waterways. The vessels—Desh Vaibhav, Desh Vibhor,and Sanmar Herald—are now heading to India . Sonowal took to social media platform X to announce,“Safe passage secured!”
Regional tensions are high. On June 20, Iran said it closed the Strait of Hormuz,blaming ongoing Israeli strikes in Lebanon for violating a new memorandum of understanding meant to stop hostilities. Just days before,on June 17, U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the Strait was "already partially open" after a U.S.-Iran deal to cease hostilities in various areas,including Lebanon .
Things escalated June 19 when Israel ramped up military operations in Lebanon, hitting multiple Hezbollah sites. Israeli officials called it retaliation for attacks on their forces in southern Lebanon and shelling in northern Israel .
As tensions shift,the safe passage of these tankers shows how tricky maritime security can be in one of world's busiest shipping lanes…
