Indian flagged oil tanker Jag Prakash departs from eastern side of Strait of Hormuz amid global uncertainty over route

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• Indian tanker Jag Prakash leaves Strait of Hormuz amid tensions
• Three Indian ships with 76 sailors stranded east of the strait
• 24 Indian ships with 677 sailors remain west of the strait

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An Indian flagged oil tanker has begun moving out of waters near the Strait of Hormuz even as concerns continue over maritime traffic in the region amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The vessel, Jag Prakash, departed from the eastern side of the Strait of Hormuz, according to officials on Friday. The tanker is carrying gasoline from Oman to Tanzania.

Shipping movement across the Gulf has faced disruption in recent weeks after Iran began targeting the region following US and Israeli attacks on its territory. The strikes had resulted in the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on February 28.

Speaking to reporters, Rajesh Kumar Sinha said several Indian vessels remained stranded near the strategic waterway.

"Three vessels remain stuck at the east side, they have 76 Indian sailors onboard," he said.

Officials said four Indian flagged vessels had been located east of the strait in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, but one of them, Jag Prakash, has now set sail.

According to Sinha, additional vessels remain stranded on the other side of the waterway. A total of 24 Indian flagged ships were still positioned west of the strait in the Persian Gulf on Friday, the same number reported a day earlier. These ships collectively have 677 Indian sailors onboard.

Ship tracking data from Kpler indicates that Jag Prakash is scheduled to discharge the gasoline loaded at Sohar Port in Oman at Tanga Port in Tanzania on March 21.

Amid rising concerns around navigation through the strait, Iran said some vessels had been permitted to pass through the route. The country’s deputy foreign minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi stated on Thursday that ships from certain countries had been allowed to cross the waterway even as it remained effectively closed during the war involving the United States and Israel.

Data analysts tracking maritime activity report that around 20 commercial vessels have been attacked in or around the Strait of Hormuz since the conflict escalated. Records from the UK Maritime Trade Operations, the International Maritime Organization, and Iranian authorities indicate that at least 10 oil tankers were hit, targeted or reported attacks between the start of the conflict and midday on March 11.

The narrow passage typically carries about 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. However, maritime activity has dropped sharply as the situation continues to evolve.

Meanwhile, Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei said the country would continue the fight and maintain pressure around the Strait of Hormuz, describing the route as leverage against the United States and Israel in his first reported remarks since succeeding his father.