After China, Indian ships begin using Strait of Hormuz; has India reached agreement with Iran?

Tehran: Following China, Indian cargo ships have begun transiting the Strait of Hormuz. Tracking data shows that two Indian cargo ships, Pushpak and Parimal, have gone through this trade route. Previously, Iran had only allowed Chinese cargo ships to pass through this route. However, now that two Indian ships are on this route, it appears that some agreement has been reached between India and Iran, or these two ships are transiting at their own risk.

Reports of the Indian ships' passage through the Strait of Hormuz come after a telephone conversation between the foreign ministers of India and Iran. Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi spoke with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Furthermore, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh also arrived in New Delhi and met with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar along with Indian officials.

What did IRGC of Iran say regarding the Strait of Hormuz?

Indian cargo ships are passing through the Strait of Hormuz at a time when Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) has warned that they are waiting for the US military to escort the ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The US has stated that it will provide security to ships passing through this trade route. The IRGC has issued this new warning in response. According to a report by the news agency AFP, the IRGC warned, "We advise the US to remember the fire that engulfed the American supertanker Bridgeton in 1987 before making any decisions."

On the other hand, first Pushpak and now Parimal are seen passing through the Strait of Hormuz. This trade route is currently being called a "death trap." Therefore, it is believed that either India has reached a secret agreement with Iran or these two ships have taken a huge risk. Iran-backed Houthi rebels are attacking ships in these sea lanes, so it's possible that Iran has assured India that ships flying "Indian flags" will not be targeted. This is why these ships are sailing without fear.

Was there a secret agreement between India and Iran?

The foreign ministers of India and Iran spoke after the US attacked and sank the IRIS Dena warship off Sri Lanka. The ship was returning from a maneuver with the Indian Navy. It was targeted without prior warning in international waters, approximately 2,000 miles off the Iranian coast. Following this attack, India has begun providing shelter to other ships stranded in the Indian Ocean.

Officials within the Indian government claimed on Friday that India had allowed an Iranian ship to dock in Kochi. The ship had encountered some technical problems off the southern Sri Lankan coast. All sailors on board are currently at an Indian Navy facility. The Indian government faced criticism following the attack on the IRIS Dena.

Indian Navy officials told the media that the warship had left India after the Milan 2026 exercise ended on February 25. The Israeli-American attack on Iran occurred on February 28, and the Iranian warship was attacked by a US  Navy submarine near the Sri Lanka coast on March 4. Indian Navy officials said that the attack occurred eight days after the Milan 2026 exercise ended, and it was in international waters in the Indian Ocean, and India could not have escorted it without Iran's request.