Naval ships escort Indian vessels from Gulf of Oman

According to official sources, the Indian Navy has deployed warships to escort Indian-flagged merchant ships transiting the Persian Gulf region.

Indian flagged merchant ships Shivalik, Nanda Devi and Jag Laadki, coming from the Gulf of Oman, were accompanied by three Indian Navy ships after passing the Strait of Hormuz. Warships ensured safe passage of ships through sensitive waters.

Although conflicts are intense in the Persian Gulf to the west of the Strait of Hormuz, there are also attacks in the Gulf of Oman to the east of the strait. Jag Laadki, carrying more than 80,000 metric tonnes of crude oil, departed Fujairah terminal in the UAE on Sunday, March 15, 2026. The ship narrowly escaped when the terminal was attacked while loading. Jag Laadki will reach Mundra Port on Tuesday.

Sources said military ship escort will continue to be provided to Indian merchant ships. About 22 Indian-flagged ships are still stuck in the west of the strait.

While officials refused to disclose the names of the navy ships involved, a senior official confirmed that the warships were operating in the region as part of Operation Sankalp, which aims to protect merchant shipping and safeguard India’s maritime interests in the Gulf region.

Operation Sankalp, launched in June 2019, ensured the safe passage of Indian flagged ships through critical sea lanes and witnessed actions including Houthi attacks.

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

Another LPG carrier, Nanda Devi, is expected to arrive at Kandla port on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. The ships carry 46,000 metric tons (MT) of cargo individually and 92,172 MT in total.

“The sailors on the ship [all the three vessels] They are all safe and will reach Mundra port tomorrow,” said Mr. Sinha.

The Special Secretary also told reporters that “no congestion has been reported in any of the major ports”, with the number of export-bound containers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority falling from 5,600 to around 3,900.

He also added that the ports provide safe anchorage for loaded ships that cannot proceed due to the situation in West Asia.

Addressing reporters at the same briefing, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said that cooking gas continues to be a “matter of concern” even though LPG supply to domestic consumers continues uninterrupted. He added that it was not reported to any agency among the distributors.

Separately, the senior official said in response to a question that domestic LPG production has increased by 36% since the supply maintenance order.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal, responding to US President Donald Trump’s questions about countries trying to send warships to protect the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, said that the issue was not discussed in any bilateral environment. “We are aware that this issue is being discussed by many countries; [however]”We have not discussed this in any bilateral environment,” he said.