Iran-linked LPG tanker shows Indian ownership during Hormuz transit

An LPG carrier previously linked to Iranian cargoes transited the Strait of Hormuz on Monday while broadcasting that its crew and owners are Indian, according to ship-tracking data.

The Tara Gas was observed moving northeast from waters off Dubai and passing near Iran’s Larak Island, a route indicating the vessel was using a corridor approved by Tehran.

Draft data showed the liquefied petroleum gas carrier was fully laden, although tracking platforms did not specify the cargo’s origin. LPG is widely used as cooking fuel and in petrochemical production.

The vessel’s movement comes as ships trapped inside the Persian Gulf seek different ways to secure safe passage through the strait, including by displaying national affiliations or relying on negotiations between their governments and Tehran.

India, Thailand and Malaysia are among the countries that have held talks with Iranian authorities to facilitate the release of energy cargoes, according to market sources.

The Tara Gas has previously carried Iranian cargoes, including an LPG shipment loaded from Iran in January and discharged at a Chinese port in late February, according to data from energy analytics firms Vortexa and Kpler cited by Bloomberg.

Vortexa data also showed the vessel entered the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on May 2.

The transit also comes as vessels with a history of carrying Iranian cargo face a second layer of risk after leaving Hormuz, with US forces maintaining a blockade on Iranian shipping in the Gulf of Oman.

US Central Command said Sunday that American forces had redirected 61 ships and disabled four vessels since the blockade began in mid-April.