Iran-linked LPG tanker signals Indian ownership through Hormuz

A liquefied petroleum gas carrier which has previously ferried Iranian cargoes is moving through the Strait of Hormuz while declaring that its crew and owners are Indian, according to ship-tracking data.

The Tara Gas was seen moving northeast from waters off Dubai on Monday morning, the data show. It is currently heading past Iran’s Larak Island in the strait, a sign that it’s sailing along a Tehran-approved route. Draft readings indicate that the vessel is fully laden with LPG, primarily used as cooking fuel, though tracking platforms did not identify where its cargo was from.

Vessels stuck in the Persian Gulf have resorted to different methods to ensure a safe exit. Several governments — including India, Thailand and Malaysia — have negotiated with Tehran to secure energy cargoes are released and some carriers have taken to broadcasting their affiliations.


Ships with a history of lifting Iranian cargoes also need to consider that passing the first blockade is only the start — they then need to navigate around a US blockade of Iranian shipping, awaiting in the Gulf of Oman. The US Navy’s Central Command said Sunday that American forces have redirected 61 ships and disabled four since the blockade began in mid-April.

Tara Gas has carried Iranian cargoes previously, according to data from platforms Vortexa and Kpler, most recently an LPG shipment that was taken from Iran in January and delivered to a Chinese port in late February. The vessel entered the Persian Gulf through Hormuz on May 2, according to Vortexa.

The ship’s owner is listed as Global Gas Inc., which is based in the United Arab Emirates, according to database Equasis, while its manager is listed as Matrix Maritime Solutions FZE that shares Global Gas’s address. Matrix Maritime Solutions didn’t answer a call made to its listed phone number.