Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) may start services towards West Asia to aid transport of stranded cargo, Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways said Wednesday. Addressing journalists at an inter-ministerial briefing on West Asia issues, he said a call on the running the service will be taken after deliberations.

Mangal responded in affirmative to queries on the possible SCI service to West Asia but added this "is not something that can happen immediately. It's not that we decide today and begin operations tomorrow," he said.

According to Mangal, about 19,500 Indian seafarers are currently in the Middle East but not all seafarers in the gulf want to come back from the West Asia region.

"A large number of seafarers are there who do not wish to return to India," he said, adding this number of includes seafarers working on ports in the region.

The number of Indian seafarers in West Asia has come down from around 28,000 when the Iran war began. Tensions in the gulf flared up when Israel-United States (US) joint strikes assassinated Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran retaliated with strikes across the region and stalled vessel movement across the Strait of Hormuz, destabilising global energy supply chains.

Subsequently, US too blocked vessel movement across the Hormuz.

There are currently 13 Indian-flagged and one Indian-owned (but flagged elsewhere) vessel stranded in the West of the Strait of Hormuz. Nine Indian LPG vessels and one crude oil vessel have safely transited the strait since February 28 - when the crisis began.

Mangal said India is continuing to coordinate with Iranian authorities to secure safe passage of vessels.

Source: ET Infra. Com 

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