New Delhi [India], March 12 (ANI): As the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran entered its 13th day, former Foreign Secretary Kanwal Sibal on Thursday said the United States is unlikely to risk sending its navy to reopen the Strait of Hormuz because of Iran’s territorial control over the crucial waterway.
Speaking with ANI, Sibal highlighted the vulnerability of the Strait of Hormuz and the resulting “energy shock” triggered by a halt in Qatari liquefied natural gas (LNG) production.
Sibal argued that the United States is unlikely to risk a naval operation to forcibly reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as the deep-water channel required for large vessels lies within Iranian territorial waters. According to him, Iran does not need sophisticated long-range missiles to defend this corridor, as short-range missiles, torpedoes, and naval mines could easily threaten high-value naval assets.
“The United States will never take the risk of sending in its navy to open up the Strait of Hormuz because it will lose its naval vessels, as the deep-water channel in the Strait of Hormuz is in Iranian territorial waters. They do not need long-range missiles; even short-range missiles, torpedoes, and other weapons can sink anything. So it is a huge danger. The LNG business is a problem because we are highly dependent on Qatar for LNG, and they have stopped producing LNG,” Sibal said in an interview with ANI.
The conflict has affected India’s energy security at two critical points: LNG availability and oil price volatility. India is heavily dependent on Qatar for roughly 40 percent of its LNG supply.
Beyond the physical threat, Sibal noted that insurance companies are refusing to cover ships entering the region, effectively creating a “de facto” blockade even without a full military closure of the strait.
“But it is a huge problem for us because the price of oil is $114 from around $70. It is terrible for us because with each $1 increase, if sustained over a year, it adds almost $2 billion to our oil bill. So this has to be settled very quickly. And now the problem is not simply Iran closing or not closing the Strait of Hormuz. It is the insurance companies that do not want to insure the ships,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Liberia-flagged tanker, Shenlong Suezmax, carrying Saudi crude has reached Mumbai Port, becoming the first India-bound vessel to pass through the Strait of Hormuz since the Iran–US conflict began.
The tanker loaded crude from Ras Tanura port in Saudi Arabia on March 1 and departed on March 3. Maritime tracking data showed the vessel in the Strait of Hormuz on March 8 before it temporarily went off tracking systems.
The tanker reportedly switched off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder while navigating the high-risk stretch of the strait and reappeared on tracking systems on March 9. The transponder is a mandatory maritime VHF radio system that automatically broadcasts a ship’s identity, position, speed, and course to nearby vessels and shore stations to prevent collisions and improve navigation.
The vessel docked at Mumbai Port at 1 p.m. Wednesday and was berthed at Jawahar Dweep at 6:06 p.m. It is carrying 135,335 metric tonnes of crude oil, which will be supplied to refineries in Mahul in eastern Mumbai. The crude discharge process is expected to take around 36 hours.
Tensions in West Asia escalated following the killing of 86-year-old Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28. The strikes also killed several senior leaders of the Islamic Republic.
In retaliation, Tehran launched counterstrikes targeting American military bases in multiple Arab countries and Israeli assets across the region. Israel, along with the United States, has continued strikes on Tehran, with Tel Aviv widening the conflict to Lebanon by targeting Hezbollah and other Iranian-backed militant groups. (ANI)
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