Indian Oil Tanker Jag Laadki Exits UAE’s Fujairah Port Safely, Heads Home

Indian oil tanker Jag Laadki, which escaped an attack on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Fujairah port last week, has successfully sailed out of the facility and is now heading to an Indian destination, the Indian government officials said on Sunday (March 15, 2025).

Jag Laadki was loading about 80,800 tonnes of Murban crude oil at the UAE Fujairah port, one of the world’s most important bunkering and oil storage hubs, when the facility came under a drone attack, resulting in a fire and the subsequent shutdown of the plant’s operations.

The vessel left Fujairah port on Sunday (March 15) amid an Iranian exemption to Indian cargo ships to safely transit the Strait of Hormuz that Tehran has taken full control of and has threatened to strike at any other flagged vessel passing through the narrow maritime choke point.

The de facto blockade of the Hormuz Strait, which came after US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on February 28, has disrupted energy supply lines, causing huge oil market inflation and an energy security threat to the world.

The Indian-flagged crude oil tanker’s safe exit from Fujairah marks a significant development, as several other cargo ships are still stuck on both the eastern and western fronts of the Hormuz Strait.

This also means Iran was keeping its word on not striking at cargo vessels that are India-bound, which would ensure Indian energy security and ease the pressure on the fuel supply to Indian households.

Jag Laadki was the fourth Indian-flagged vessel to have navigated unharmed out of the West Asian war zone in the last week. All crew members on board Jag Laadki were also safe, according to Indian government officials, who are closely monitoring the vessel’s voyage to India.

On Saturday (March 14), two Shipping Corporation of India’s LPG carriers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi, carrying about 92,712 tonnes of LPG, crossed the Strait of Hormuz. Shivalik is due to reach Mundra port in Gujarat on Monday (March 16), and Nanda Devi would dock at Kandla port on Tuesday (March 17), according to an Indian government update.

Iran’s assurances of the safety of Indian-flagged and India-bound cargo ships came after intensive diplomatic engagement by the Indian political leadership over the week. Indian officials are also engaging with ship operators and all West Asian nations to ensure the safe passage of 20-odd cargo vessels at their ports.

Meanwhile, India has deployed at least three naval warships in the Gulf region to provide security and escort to India-bound vessels, amidst growing attacks on cargo ships in the Hormuz Strait.