After discussions progressed between India and Iran, Iran allowed two Indian-flagged gas tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on 14 Mar. Twenty-two Indian-flagged vessels are still waiting for clearance. Indian Minister for External Affairs S. Jaishankar said he is hopeful other ships will get permission but there was no 'blanket arrangement' for all Indian ships to pass through the narrow waterway. In the call, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi asked India to release three tankers it had seized in February 2026. He also stressed the importance of BRICS as a forum for multilateral cooperation and asked it to condemn Israel and the US military action against Iran. India is currently the chair of BRICS. Iran joined BRICS in 2024. Two US allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are also part of BRICS. India is walking the tight-rope in BRICS but its not taking a stance against the unprovoked attack has eroded its credibility as Iran’s partner with long ties. Meanwhile, the US President Donald Trump is scrambling to find allies to help US ships through the Strait. Most European nations—members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization—have refused to step into the war against Iran. Alongside the disruption in oil and gas supplies, Indian industrial bodies have raised alarm over a potential shortage of sulphur. Sulphur is largely recovered during crude oil refining and disruption of its supply will affect key manufacturing segments like fertilizers, chemicals, metal processing, and textiles. Panjab’s National Fertiliser Limited (NFL) plants at Bathinda and Nangal have stopped urea production after supply of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) was lowered by 40%. Bathinda NFL and Nangal NFL produce 512 KMT and 479 KMT urea annually, respectively. India has asked China to consider easing export restrictions as the expanding conflict upends supplies of liquefied natural gas. China controls urea exports under a quota system. While some shipments were permitted in 2025—including to India—it has yet to allocate allowances for outbound shipments in 2026. India’s request comes just as it eased investment rules for bordering countries, a step that signals improving economic ties with its largest neighbor and geopolitical rival (earlier coverage).
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