- By Ajeet Kumar
- Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:13 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- India negotiated passage for vessels through blocked Hormuz.
- Iran's leniency due to India's sympathy, historical ties.
- Ensures India's critical energy supplies via Persian Gulf.
Since the escalation of the Israel-US-Iran war last month, Tehran has blocked the critical juncture in the Persian Gulf that acts as the "heartbeat" for the Asian nations, which are critically dependent on the Middle East nations for their energy needs. However, amid a series of attacks on vessels in the Iraqi waters, New Delhi emerged as a champion, as it successfully negotiated with Iranian counterparts to let the India-bound vessels pass through the narrow Strait of Hormuz.
Although External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday told the Financial Times that there are no such blanket deals with Tehran regarding the passage, and added that every case is dealt with individually.
How important is Hormuz for India?
Notably, India imports 60 per cent of its LPG needs, with 85-90 per cent of this being sourced from Gulf countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which use the Strait of Hormuz as a transit for shipping oil and gas. The strait has been effectively closed since the first week of March. Even the partial closure of the route, as claimed by Tehran, led to massive chaos in the Indian energy market, although the government clarified that there is no such shortage of cooking gas in the country.
What are the reasons why Tehran is allowing selective passage to Indian-flagged vessels?
India's sympathy for Iran: Speaking to news agency ANI, the representative of Iran's Supreme Leader in India, Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, on Saturday, said India showed loyalty and sympathy for Iranian killed in the US bombings. "They (Indians) show their loyalty to the oppressed people. Even with the children of the girls' school, which is attacked by the United States, they show their sympathy, their solidarity. We informed our people in Iran of the sympathy and solidarity of our brothers and sisters in India. And we said that now also they are suffering from a shortage of gas and a shortage of petrol, and we have to provide for them and help them and support them," Ilahi added.
#WATCH | Delhi | On being asked in an interview with ANI if we will see a free passage for Indian vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, Dr Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, replied "Yes."
— ANI (@ANI) March 14, 2026
He says, "I heard that our embassy tried to… pic.twitter.com/MBojAxtNG3
Historical and friendly relations: Both countries share deep cultural, historical, and bilateral ties. Iran's Ambassador to India, Mohammad Fathali, explicitly stated that "India and I are friends" and emphasised "historical relations" and "common interests," making Indian vessels a rare exception to the restrictions imposed on US, European, or Israeli-linked shipping.
Shared strategic and economic Interests: Both countries have mutual stakes in stable energy flows and trade. Iran benefits from India's role as a major buyer of its oil,historically, and as a partner in regional connectivity projects like Chabahar Port. Allowing Indian transits avoids alienating a key non-Western partner and supports Tehran's narrative of not harming "friendly" nations amid the conflict.
Effective direct diplomacy: India's case-by-case approach through high-level engagements, such as conversations between Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart, and a recent conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President, has "yielded some results."
India's neutral stand: India has not taken particular sides in the ongoing war, thus preserving New Delhi's strategic autonomy. This allows Tehran to demonstrate selective leniency toward neutral or non-hostile states.
Avoiding unnecessary harm to third parties: Iranian officials have indicated they do not want "other countries to suffer" unnecessarily from the disruptions. By permitting limited Indian and potentially other neutral vessels, Iran signals controlled escalation, targeting only those linked to the US-Israel axis.