Punjab Newsline | New Delhi
Amid the failure of peace talks between the United States and Iran, two massive oil tankers carrying Iranian crude have arrived at India’s coastline. These deliveries mark the first Iranian crude oil shipments to Indian shores in about seven years.
According to vessel tracking firms, the two tankers reached ports on India’s eastern and western coasts. One of the vessels docked off the Gujarat coast, while the other arrived near Odisha.
The tanker named “Felicity,” operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company, anchored near Sikka on the Gujarat coast late Sunday night. It is carrying around 2 million barrels of crude oil, loaded from Kharg Island in mid-March.
The second vessel, “Jaya,” reached near Paradip port in Odisha around the same time. It is also carrying a similar quantity of crude oil, which was loaded from Kharg Island in late February. Both shipments were loaded before recent military escalations between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
The arrival became possible after a temporary U.S. sanctions waiver issued last month, allowing the sale of Iranian oil already in transit at sea. The waiver was intended to prevent disruptions in global supply and stabilize oil prices.
However, following the breakdown of peace talks between Washington and Tehran, the United States has announced tighter restrictions and a blockade of Iranian ports aimed at limiting Iran’s oil export revenues.