India Sends Warships Near Gulf of Oman to Escort Its Fuel Ships

By Sudhi Ranjan Sen

Mar 18, 2026 (Bloomberg) –India is sending additional warships to the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea to ensure the safe passage of its vessels in anticipation that Iran may allow more of its fuel tankers to exit the Strait of Hormuz, people familiar with the matter said. 

The Indian Navy is deploying over half a dozen warships, including logistics vessels to the area as a precautionary measure, the people said, asking not to be identified as the discussions are private. The warships will be stationed east of the Strait of Hormuz and won’t enter the waterway, they said. Their objective would be to escort the vessels until they reach safer waters in the northern Arabian Sea.

India secured the safe transit of two state-owned tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas in recent days and is negotiating with Iran for several more fuel ships to be allowed through. The Strait of Hormuz has effectively been shut since the US and Israel began airstrikes on Iran in late February, causing acute gas shortages in India, which gets about 90% of its LPG imports from the Middle East. 

New Delhi hasn’t responded directly to US President Donald Trump’s demand that other countries send battleships to the strait to help ships pass through. Randhir Jaiswal, spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, told reporters earlier this week that the matter wasn’t discussed with the US “in a bilateral setting.”

The ministry and India’s Navy didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

India’s longstanding policy is to participate in international military operations under a United Nations mandate, rather than aligning with unilateral actions of individual countries.

It’s not unusual for India to send warships to protect commercial vessels in conflict zones. In 2024, the navy deployed at least a dozen ships to the Arabian Sea following piracy attacks linked to Iran-backed Houthi militants in Yemen. 

The warships are being deployed under Operation Sankalp, a 2019 mission aimed at safeguarding merchant shipping and protecting India’s maritime interests in the Gulf region, people familiar with the matter said.

There are 22 India-flagged vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf, including six LPG carriers, one ship carrying liquefied natural gas and four crude oil tankers, according to government officials.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said late last week that he had discussed the “serious situation in the region” with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, including ways to secure the passage of the ships through the strait. 

© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.

Updated: March 30, 2026 (Originally published March 18, 2026)

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