The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has said that they have no specific information regarding reports of vessels carrying Iranian crude oil bound for India. This information was made available to the media shortly after reports and ship-tracking data indicated an oil shipment from Iran may be bound for Indian territory.
Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways Mukesh Mangal answered queries related to the matter at an inter-ministerial briefing regarding current happenings in West Asia. He indicated the government has no confirmed information concerning the vessel. He expressed caution regarding speculation about an Iranian oil shipment to India.
In advance of Mukesh Mangal’s remarks, ship tracking data and intelligence from shipping companies indicated that the vessel Ping Shun may be carrying a cargo of approximately 600,000 barrels of Iranian crude oil to Vadinar port, located in Gujarat. If this shipment is confirmed, it will represent India’s first import of Iranian crude oil since 2019 when imports were suspended due to U. S. sanctions on Iranian crude oil exports.
Energy specialists and commodity tracking specialists had pointed out the importance of this potential shipment in light of current events in West Asia and fluctuations in the international petroleum market.