Vessel carrying 20,000 tonnes of LPG reaches Gujarat after crossing Strait of Hormuz
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500+ questions on Geography with explanations
📌 Summary:
- Marshall Islands-flagged MV SYMI carrying 20,000 metric tonnes of LPG from Qatar docked at Deendayal Port Authority, Kandla (Gujarat) on May 16, 2026 after crossing the Strait of Hormuz on May 13
- Since early March 2026, 13 India-flagged vessels (12 LPG tankers + 1 crude oil tanker) have crossed the Strait of Hormuz amid the West Asia crisis
- The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway near the Oman coast through which roughly one-fifth of the world's energy supplies pass — making it the world's most strategic chokepoint
- Iran-Israel war began February 28, 2026 after US-Israel joint strikes on Iran; has triggered "one of the worst energy crises" in recent decades
- On May 13, an India-flagged commercial vessel was attacked off the Oman coast; Omani authorities rescued all 14 crew members (attacker unidentified)
- At a UN ECOSOC special meeting on energy and supply flows, India's Permanent Representative P. Harish called targeting commercial shipping, endangering civilian crew and impeding freedom of navigation in the Strait "unacceptable"
- India also holds ~45 days of LPG "rolling stock" buffer, claim under scrutiny given dependence on Hormuz route
🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 (Internal Security – Maritime Security; Energy security) and GS2 (IR – India's stake in West Asia). Tests freedom of navigation under UNCLOS, India's strategic petroleum/LPG reserves doctrine, chokepoints.
📝 Prelims Facts:
- Strait of Hormuz connects Persian Gulf with Gulf of Oman/Arabian Sea; bordered by Iran (north) and Oman/UAE (south)
- ~20% of global oil trade and ~20% of global LNG trade passes through Hormuz
- Deendayal Port (formerly Kandla Port) — Gujarat — one of 13 Major Ports under Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways
- UN ECOSOC: one of six principal organs of the UN; deals with economic, social and environmental issues
- Other key oil chokepoints: Strait of Malacca, Bab-el-Mandeb, Suez Canal, Bosphorus, Panama Canal
🔑 Key Term: Strait of Hormuz — strategic maritime chokepoint between the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, only 21 nautical miles wide at its narrowest; carries ~20% of global petroleum liquids, making it critical to India's 85% oil-import dependence.
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