Iran Thanks Indian People for Support; LPG Crisis Grows

March

2026

After 14 Mar, when two India-bound tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz, on 23 Mar Iran allowed two more tankers to sail through. The representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, Professor Ayatollah Abdul Majid Hakim Elahi said, 'Our Indian brothers and sisters, regardless of religion, are supporting Iran, are supporting justice.' In another interview he said, 'Majority heart of Indian people is with Iran, they condemn oppression, they don't want war... We informed our people in Iran about the suffering of the people in India and they must support them.(sic)' Iran’s Ambassador to India Mohammad Fathali also said some tankers will be allowed through the Strait, though did not specify the number. The Iran embassy fund appeal has drawn a big response from India, especially Kashmir. Meanwhile, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on 21 Mar to condemn recent attacks on critical infrastructure in West Asia and warned that such actions threaten regional stability and disrupt global supply chains. Additionally, the Federation of LPG Distributors of Punjab (FLDP) demanded an increase in gas cylinders to clear the backlog, expressing concern over the situation. It said that the oil marketing companies’ (OMC) sudden decision to increase the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) prices, raising domestic cylinder rates by USD 0.64 (INR 60) and commercial cylinders by USD 1.23 (INR 115), triggered panic among consumers who apprehended a potential supply shortage. FLDP president Gurpal Singh Mann said there was ‘inadequate supply’ of gas in the state, despite the union government and OMC claiming adequate availability. He added, 'The imposition of restrictive booking intervals, once every 25 days for urban consumers and once every 45 days for rural consumers, coupled with the temporary suspension of booking channels for three to four days, led to a surge of pending bookings.' Fraud phone calls on the pretext of LPG booking have become a significant concern in Panjab especially amid reports of perceived shortages, panic booking, and supply concerns linked to the escalating war in West Asia. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has mandated biometric authentication for all domestic LPG consumers (earlier coverage).