The attack on Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz has brought renewed focus on the safe passage of Indian commercial vessels and the broader bilateral relationship between New Delhi and Tehran.
The Strait of Hormuz has been critical for India’s energy need. Before the West Asia crisis, 2.5- 2.7 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil from countries in the Arabian Peninsula used to pass through the Strait.
“It’s back to square one with so much unpredictability on passage of stranded ships in the Arabian Peninsula and unable to pass through Hormuz Strait,” said an official of a large shipping line. “Every day, there is suspense in the region,” he added.
Jagannarayan Padmanabhan, Senior Director and Global Head – Transport, Logistics and Mobility at Crisil Ltd, said that from a shipping trade perspective, the attack on Indian-flagged vessels represents a significant setback.
“Private companies are inherently risk-averse when it comes to geopolitical exposure, and incidents like those in the Strait of Hormuz directly heighten concerns around cargo safety and crew security,” he said.
Padmanabhan added that businesses would now prioritise minimising exposure to high-risk corridors, even at higher costs, seek stronger assurances from shippers, insurers and governments, and re-evaluate routing and sourcing strategies to avoid concentration risks.
Capt. K Ramakrishnan, a Master Mariner, said that until now, the passage of Indian ships had largely been governed by government-to-government understandings. However, recent developments suggest that gunboat actions may not necessarily be coordinated with the Iranian government.
“The IRGC is possibly taking an independent decision,” he said.
Michelle Wiese Bockmann, a Maritime Intelligence Analyst based in the UK, said: “A very volatile and distressing situation west of Hormuz. Yesterday, when the Strait of Hormuz “opened” and then shut so quickly, Windward detected at least 33 outbound ships reversing course mid-transit.
The events of the past 24 hours are a major setback for global trade. What nascent confidence there was among maritime stakeholders (shipowners, oil traders, war risk marine insurers, big container lines and oil cargo insurers — given so many laden VLCCs turned around) has evaporated. They won’t be so quick to return next time either Iran or the US declares the strait open amid some tenuous ceasefire deal, she said in a social media post.
Sanmar Group, whose ship reportedly came under fire, did not comment at the time of print.
Published on April 19, 2026
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