Govt. mulling deploying Indian Navy to escort ships stranded in Persian Gulf: Govt. source
The Indian government is considering deploying Indian Navy warships to escort Indian-flagged and Indian-crewed vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman amid the ongoing US-Iran-Israel war.
A government source indicated a decision was likely within two days, and that Iran's promise not to attack ships from neighbouring countries could facilitate movement across the Strait of Hormuz.
At least 37 Indian-flagged vessels with over 1,100 seafarers were stranded in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman following Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz after the February 28, 2026 US-Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The Strait has seen partial reopening, but significant risk remains, as Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) had earlier warned of attacks on any vessel attempting passage.
More than 50% of India's crude oil imports transit the Strait of Hormuz, making the crisis a direct threat to India's energy security.
The proposed naval escort mission would place Indian Navy ships in a potential conflict zone, raising significant questions about rules of engagement and India's formal position of non-alignment in the conflict.
The Strait of Hormuz: Strategic Chokepoint for Global and Indian Energy
The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, connecting the Arabian Sea. At its narrowest, it is approximately 33 km wide, with two 3 km wide shipping lanes. It is the world's single most important oil chokepoint, through which an average of 20 million barrels of oil per day flowed in 2024 — approximately 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption. Over 84% of this flow is destined for Asian markets.
India is the second-largest destination for crude oil flowing through the Strait (14.7% of flows). Approximately 50% of India's total crude oil imports and around 60% of its liquefied natural gas supplies move through the Strait of Hormuz. India imports nearly 85–90% of its crude oil requirement, making Hormuz a critical node in India's energy supply chain.
Key Details
- Width at narrowest: ~33 km; shipping lanes: two 3 km-wide lanes
- Oil flow (2024): ~20 million barrels per day (~20% of global petroleum consumption)
- India's crude imports via Hormuz: ~50%; LNG supplies: ~60%
- Major suppliers to India through Hormuz: Iraq, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait
- Alternative to Hormuz: Fujairah pipeline (UAE) — limited capacity; no full bypass exists
- Closure impact on India: immediate crude price spike, forex outflow surge
With half of India's crude imports at risk, the Indian Navy escort proposal reflects not just humanitarian concern for stranded sailors but a direct strategic imperative to protect India's energy supply chains.
Indian Navy's Maritime Security Role in the IOR
The Indian Navy has progressively expanded its role from a coastal defence force to a blue-water navy operating across the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). It has conducted numerous escort missions, most prominently anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden under Operation Sankalp (also Operation Trident) since 2008, deploying warships continuously to escort merchant vessels through piracy-prone waters. This precedent establishes India's capability and willingness to provide naval escorts in distant, high-risk waters.
The Indian Navy's doctrine positions it as the principal security guarantor for Indian nationals and Indian-flagged ships in the IOR, including in crisis scenarios.
Key Details
- Operation Sankalp: Indian Navy anti-piracy mission in Gulf of Aden, ongoing since 2008
- Indian Navy fleet: 3 aircraft carriers (including INS Vikrant), ~150 ships, ~220 aircraft
- Blue-water capability: extended reach across Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal
- Previous escort missions: Gulf of Aden, Mozambique Channel, anti-piracy patrols
- 37 Indian-flagged ships with 1,100+ seafarers stranded as of early March 2026
India's Hormuz escort deliberations build directly on the precedent of Operation Sankalp — the Navy has the doctrine, the experience, and the hardware. The key constraint is political: formal involvement risks drawing India into the US-Iran conflict's legal framework.
Rules of Engagement and Non-Alignment in Active Combat Zones
Naval escort missions in active conflict zones raise complex legal and doctrinal issues. When a navy escorts a merchant vessel through contested waters, an attack on the escort constitutes an act of war under international law — the escorting nation is functionally a belligerent. India's traditional foreign policy posture of "strategic autonomy" — maintaining independence from great-power blocs — creates a tension: protecting Indian commercial interests in the Gulf without being seen as taking sides in the US-Iran conflict.
India's previous Gulf evacuations (Operation Raahat in Yemen, 2015) were conducted without formal conflict-zone combat rules because Yemen's warring parties implicitly respected India's evacuation corridors. Hormuz is different — it is an active naval combat zone with declared Iranian anti-ship missile threats.
Key Details
- Rules of engagement (RoE): define when/how military force may be used; classified but framework is under international humanitarian law
- Act of war threshold: attack on a naval escort in international waters is casus belli under UNCLOS and customary law
- India's strategic autonomy doctrine: avoids formal military alliances while pursuing bilateral partnerships
- Operation Raahat (2015): evacuated ~5,600 people from Yemen; INS Sumitra, Mumbai, Tarmugli deployed
- IRGC warning: Iran's IRGC had declared attacks on any vessel attempting Hormuz passage after Feb 28
If India deploys naval escorts to the Strait of Hormuz, it would mark a significant departure from its traditional posture of non-involvement in West Asian military conflicts — a decision with long-term implications for India's relationships with both the US-Israel bloc and Iran.
- 37 Indian-flagged ships with 1,100+ seafarers stranded in Persian Gulf / Gulf of Oman as of early March 2026
- Strait of Hormuz: ~20 million barrels/day oil flow in 2024 (~20% of global petroleum consumption)
- India's crude imports via Hormuz: ~50% of total crude; ~60% of LNG supplies
- Conflict trigger: US-Israeli strikes on Iran, February 28, 2026; Supreme Leader Khamenei killed
- IRGC: Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared threats to Hormuz shipping
- Iran's stated condition for easing blockade: countries not hosting attacks on Iran
- India's oil import dependence: 85–90% imported; Gulf region accounts for majority
- Operation Sankalp: Indian Navy's anti-piracy escort precedent in Gulf of Aden since 2008