A crude oil tanker carrying Saudi Arabian crude has reached Mumbai after passing through the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first vessel bound for India to safely transit the route since the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran disrupted maritime traffic in the Middle East Region, a Hindustan Times report said.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean. The tanker, Shenlong, is a Liberia-flagged Suezmax vessel that loaded crude oil at the Saudi Arabian port of Ras Tanura on March 1 and departed two days later.
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HT citing maritime tracking firms Llyod's List Intelligence and TankerTrackers reported that the vessel's last recorded signal before entering the Strait of Hormuz was on March 8.
The ship later temporarily disappeared from public tracking systems, suggesting that its AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders were turned off while navigating through the strait. A person familiar with the matter said the vessel likely switched off its transponders to avoid detection while passing through the sensitive and risky stretch of water.
The tanker reappeared on tracking databases on March 9 after successfully clearing the waterway. It reached the Mumbai port at 1 pm on Wednesday and was later berthed at 6.06 pm, according to port officials.
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Praveen Singh, Deputy Conservator of the Mumbai Port Authority speaking to the newspaper confirmed the arrival and cargo details of the vessel.
“The ship Shenlong is carrying 1,35,335 metric tonnes of crude oil. She is berthed at Jawahar Dweep and has started discharging the crude cargo,” Praveen was quoted as saying by the HT. The crude cargo being unloaded at the port will be transported to refineries located in Mahul in eastern Mumbai.
The vessel is owned by Shenlong Shipping Ltd and managed by Athens-based Dynacom Tanker Management Ltd. Officials from the shipping ministry did not immediately respond to requests for further details about the tanker.
According to the report, Jitendra Jadhav, who works for Atlantic Global Shipping and is handling the vessel in Mumbai, provided details about the crew and the unloading process. “There are 29 Indian, Pakistani and Filipino crew on board, while the ship's captain is Sukshant Singh Sandhu. The ship will take nearly 36 hours to discharge the cargo,” he said.
The vessel's arrival comes at a time when maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz has been severely affected due to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Iran has reportedly struck merchant vessels and warned that oil shipments passing through the waterway would not be allowed except those destined for China.
The Strait of Hormuz is considered one of the most critical maritime trade routes in the world, with nearly one-fifth of the global crude oil supply passing through it.
The successful transit of the Mumbai-bound tanker may provide some relief to concerns about energy supplies in India, as more than half of the country's crude oil and gas imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz. However, several Indian vessels remain in or near the region.
According to the report citing India's Directorate General of Shipping, 28 Indian-flagged ships are still located in or around the Strait of Hormuz area following the outbreak of the conflict.
The Directorate General of Shipping said that eight Indian-flagged ships which were east of the strait when the conflict began have since moved toward safer waters. Over the past few days, seven of these vessels, Desh Mahima, Desh Abhiman, Swarna Kamal, Vishva Prerna, Jag Viraat, Jag Lokesh and LNGC Aseem, have reached the Arabian Sea. Another vessel, Jag Lakshya, has proceeded toward Angola.
Citing report HT also reported that several vessels navigating the area have taken precautionary steps such as switching off AIS transponders or disguising their identities as Chinese vessels. These measures were reportedly taken amid signal jamming and spoofing in the region to safely exit the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile an official told HT that there was no formal restriction from the Indian government on ships sailing through the waterway but advised caution.
Meanwhile, India has also raised concerns about recent attacks on commercial ships in the region. The Ministry of External Affairs responded after reports emerged about an attack on a Thai vessel in the Strait of Hormuz.
Videos and photos of the ship under fire surfaced in social media. The authenticity of the video cannot be independently verified by NDTV Profit.
BREAKING:
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 11, 2026
Iran strikes a Thai ship attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
Thai authorities said the bulk carrier Mayuree Naree, sailing under the Thailand flag, was struck by projectiles while travelling about 18km north of Oman.
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#BREAKING:
— Washington Eye (@washington_EY) March 11, 2026
A Thai-flagged cargo ship, Mayuree Naree, was struck by projectiles while attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, about 18 km north of Oman. A fire broke out in the engine room, 20 crew were rescued, and three sailors are reported missing. #WashingtonEye pic.twitter.com/BBa6U3M5Bi
“We have seen reports about the attack on a Thai ship, Mayuree Naree, in the Straits of Hormuz on 11 March. The ship was bound for Kandla in India,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randir Jaiswal said in a statement on Wednesday.
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He further added, “India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict in West Asia. Precious lives, including of Indian citizens, have already been lost in multiple such attacks in the earlier phase of this conflict and the intensity and lethality of the attacks only seems to be increasing.”
“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” he said.
Statement regarding ship bound for Kandla, India ⬇️
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) March 11, 2026
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