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The Liberia-flagged tanker Shenlong Suezmax, loaded with Saudi Arabian crude, arrives at a port after transiting the Strait of Hormuz, in Mumbai, Thursday. (Reuters) Iran will allow Indian-flagged tankers to transit the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for 40% of the South Asian nation’s crude imports, an Indian government source said Thursday, but an Iranian source outside the country denied any such deal was reached.India, the world’s No. 3 oil consumer, said Thursday the foreign ministers of the two countries have had three conversations in recent days and the latest one this week focused on “issues pertaining to the safety of shipping and India’s energy security”.”Beyond that, it would be premature for me to say anything,” foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told a weekly media briefing.The Indian source, who was briefed on the matter, declined to be identified, citing a lack of authorisation to speak to media, while the Iranian source said the matter was a sensitive one.Thursday, the Suezmax tanker Shenlong, carrying Saudi crude, arrived at a port in Mumbai after transiting the strait. The Liberia-flagged vessel was the first crude carrier to reach India from the Middle East since the war between Iran and the US and Israel broke out in late February, according to LSEG data. The customer is state-run Bharat Petroleum Corp, said a source with direct knowledge of the matter.The company did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.The Indian source said two other foreign-flagged tankers believed to be bound for India had recently transited the Strait, and that Iran had given assurances of safe passage for Indian-flagged vessels after the foreign ministers of both countries spoke by telephone late on Tuesday.The source said the situation remained fluid, with limited clarity on how instructions were being relayed across different layers of Iran’s administration.In a statement after the talks between India’s S Jaishankar and his counterpart, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign ministry said the US should be held accountable for the “insecure situation and problems arising for shipping in the Persian Gulf”.Neither side mentioned any agreement on allowing safe passage for Indian vessels.On Wednesday, India said 28 Indian-flagged vessels were operating west and east of the Strait with 778 Indian sailors aboard.”Authorities, ship managers and recruitment agencies are co-ordinating closely with Indian embassies and local authorities to ensure safety and provide assistance to Indian seafarers,” the Indian petroleum ministry said in a statement.India has given safe harbour to 183 Iranian sailors from a vessel that docked after the war broke out between Iran and the US and Israel.New Delhi had allowed three Iranian ships that departed following a naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal to dock, but one was later sunk by a US submarine in international waters, and another sought assistance from Sri Lanka.Iran has attacked at least 16 ships in the Strait since the war began in late February. Tehran has warned that oil prices could nearly double to $200 a barrel as it retaliates.A Thai vessel bound for India’s western port of Kandla was attacked in the Strait on Wednesday, prompting criticism from New Delhi.”India deplores the fact that commercial shipping is being made a target of military attacks in the ongoing conflict,” the foreign ministry said on Wednesday, adding that its citizens had also died.The near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz has compelled India to scramble for alternatives, such as buying more from Russia. Related…
Qatar Chamber board member Ali bin Abdullatif al-Misnad. Qatar Chamber, through its Services Committee, has announced the formation a ‘24/7 Team’, an internal working group that will operate non-stop, as well as a dedicated hotline to receive reports on challenges facing the transportation and logistics sector. In a video conference held yesterday, board member Ali bin Abdullatif al-Misnad, who is also chairman of the committee, noted that the team will study these issues and refer them to the relevant authorities to find appropriate solutions, in a way that safeguards the continued flow of goods and enhances commercial transportation in the country. The online meeting was attended by representatives from the General Authority of Customs, Mwani Qatar, Qatar Airways, and the Ministry of Transport, as well as more than 30 companies operating in the country’s transportation and logistics sector. The meeting reviewed the key challenges facing the services sector under the current circumstances, particularly those related to transportation and freight, and discussed ways to address them.During the meeting, the participants reviewed the status of land, air, and sea cargo and supply chains, and discussed private sector proposals to address challenges facing transportation, logistics, and shipping companies. They also reviewed mechanisms to streamline land and sea shipping, based on key proposals submitted by logistics companies in the country. Al-Misnad stressed that the Qatar Chamber is keen to identify all challenges facing shipping and transport companies under the current circumstances and to coordinate with the relevant authorities to address obstacles affecting the supply of goods and merchandise to the country. Yousef al-Nuaimi, director of the Air Cargo Department at the General Authority of Customs, said land cargo is relying on transit operations or the TIR System via the land port with Saudi Arabia. Yousef al-Hammadi, director of the Land Customs Department at the General Authority of Customs, said 100% of commercial operations have been transferred to the land port. He pointed out that land customs provide all facilities to suppliers and traders, noting that all customs initiatives, including the economic operator and the TIR System, aim to facilitate the movement of trade in the country. Captain Abdulaziz al-Yafei, executive vice president of Operations at Mwani Qatar, reported that the current circumstances, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, “have made it difficult for shipments to reach the country’s ports.” Ehab Matta, representative of the Qatar Airways Cargo, said movement at Hamad International Airport is “relatively limited,” noting that Qatar Airways is keen to ensure the rapid delivery of food and medical supplies to the country. Some food supplies are being imported, in cooperation with Hassad Food, he also pointed out. Hamad al-Marri, director of the Land Transport Licensing Department at the Ministry of Transport, said the ministry, in its capacity as a member of the Logistics Support Committee, recently met with shipping companies to discuss the issues they are facing. These include empty trucks entering neighbouring countries, extending the operational life of trucks, and facilitating the issuance of entry licences for drivers and vehicles. During the meeting, the participants also introduced a number of proposals, including allowing all trucks registered in GCC countries to operate freely within any Gulf state and establishing a hotline between ports and shipping companies to facilitate procedures. Source link
Trucks carry bodies of Iranian sailors, who died following a submarine attack on Iranian military ship, IRIS Dena, off the coast of Sri Lanka, to an…
Arsalan restaurant chefs cook biryani in traditional cooking pots on wood fire at an open centralised kitchen of Arsalan restaurant amid disruptions in commercial LPG supply,…
The death toll from the Israeli aggression on Lebanon has risen to 773, in addition to 1,933 wounded since March 2, the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health, in its daily report issued by the Health Emergency Operations Center.The report also noted an increase in the number of child casualties, with the number of children killed rising from 98 yesterday to 103 today, while the number of wounded children rose from 304 yesterday to 326 today. Source link
Romanian President Nicusor Dan and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hold signed documents about joint drone production in Romania, in Bucharest, Thursday. (Reuters) Ukraine and Romania Thursday signed a statement of intent to produce drones together in Romania during a visit to Bucharest by President Volodymyr Zelensky aimed at deepening defence co-operation.Zelensky also offered to develop anti-drone defence systems with Kyiv’s European allies.The visit – followed by a trip to Paris today – comes at a time of uncertainty over planned peace talks between Kyiv and Moscow that have been spearheaded by the United States and derailed by the US-Israeli war with Iran.Zelensky and Romanian President Nicusor Dan signed an agreement on the joint production of defence products in Romania, and another on energy co-operation, the two sides said.”We discussed our military co-operation, and one of the documents signed refers to the joint production of drones in Romania,” Dan said during a joint press conference.Both countries will consider drone production in Romania in the “shortest possible time,” according to the statement of intent.The project would be partially funded through the EU’s SAFE Initiative with up to 200 million euros ($230 million), it added.Nato-member Romania – an important ally of Kyiv’s – has seen repeated violations of its airspace, including drone fragments falling onto its soil, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.Zelensky, who has dispatched teams to the Gulf to help allies fend off Iranian drones, offered Thursday to work with European allies to develop their defensive systems.”I think it would be quite good to develop all of this together with European countries, our neighbours, our friends,” Zelensky said.The Ukrainian leader also said the two Black Sea countries were deepening energy ties, noting the construction of two new electricity supply lines.Ukraine has become increasingly dependent on electricity imports from its European neighbours since the start of Russian attacks on its power grid. Related Story Source…
United States Central Command said that one of its aerial refueling aircraft, a KC‑135, crashed in western Iraq, while a second aircraft involved in the incident landed safely.In a statement issued on Thursday, the command said, “One of the two aircraft went down in western Iraq, and the second landed safely. This was not due to hostile or friendly fire.”The command added that it is conducting rescue efforts following the crash. Source link
Air raid sirens sounded Friday at Incirlik Air Base, a major facility belonging to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), according to the official Anadolu Agency. The base is located near the city of Adana in the southeast of the country, where U.S. forces are stationed.No official comment has been issued so far regarding the incident, and the reason for the activation of the sirens remains unknown. Four days ago, NATO air defenses intercepted a ballistic missile in Turkish airspace that had been launched from Iran, the second such incident within five days. Last Monday, the United States announced the closure of its consulate in the city of Adana and urged all American citizens to leave southeastern Turkiye. Source link
Authorities in the Sultanate of Oman announced today that two drones fell in the state of Sohar.The Oman News Agency quoted a security source as saying that one of the two drones fell in the Al Awahi industrial area, resulting in the death of two expatriates and some injuries, while the other fell in an open area without any injuries being recorded. The source added that the relevant authorities are continuing to deal with and investigate the two incidents. Source link
Thousands of people in Tehran defied ongoing bombardments Wednesday to publicly mourn commanders killed by US-Israeli strikes, in the largest gathering since the start of the war.In the otherwise mostly deserted Iranian capital, the funeral crowds gathered at the symbolic Enghelab Square, offering a stark contrast to the vacant avenues in surrounding areas.Mourners paid their respects under a ubiquitous security presence as special forces, heavily armed and wearing balaclavas, remained on high alert throughout the ceremony.One officer was clad in a black scarf bearing the image of late supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed on the first day of the US-Israeli strikes on February 28, after 36 years in power.Armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Moussavi, Revolutionary Guards chief Mohammad Pakpour, defence minister Aziz Nassirzadeh and influential security adviser Ali Shamkhani were also killed in simultaneous strikes.Wednesday, trucks carrying the coffins of the top officials and their entourage formed a procession through central Tehran.An AFP journalist saw one small coffin bearing a picture of its victim, a two-month-old baby, alongside the Iranian flag.Revolutionary Guards personnel stood guard over the sombre occasion, taking place under a grey sky and unusually cold temperatures, just days before the springtime celebration.The mourners, many of them women dressed in black chadors, bore flags and flowers to a soundtrack of religious music.Teenagers, meanwhile, held up pictures of Ali Khamenei alongside images of his son and successor, Mojtaba Khamenei, who was injured in the same raid that killed his father, his wife and his mother.The 56-year-old has yet to make any public appearances since being selected for the top post at the weekend.The procession progressed along avenues lined by buildings with blown-out windows and damaged facades.On the burned-out shell of a car was emblazoned the tagline “Make Iran Great Again” — a reference to the catchphrase used by US President Donald Trump, who has called on Iranians to rise up against the clerical state.Suddenly, the voice of an announcer cut through the ceremony to announce a new Iranian attack against its enemies.In response, the crowd chanted in unison, “Allahu akbar” (Allah is the greatest).The announcer then proceeded to sweep the crowd up into a frenzy of shouts of “Death to America!”, “Death to Israel!”The show of defiance comes as the Islamic republic is embroiled in a war on several fronts, fighting its traditional foes but also launching unprecedented attacks across the wider region. Related Story Source link