Two Indian ships among 45 blacklisted by Iran for Strait of Hormuz ‘violations’

Two Indian ships among 45 blacklisted by Iran for Strait of Hormuz 'violations' The two Indian vessels on the list are LNG (liquefied natural gas) tanker Disha and bulk carrier Maha Roos.

Key points

• 5 min read New Delhi Aug 26, 2026 05: 20 AM IST.
• While Mumbai-based Five Stars Shipping is listed as the bulk carrier's commercial and international safety manager, india-flagged Maah Roos is owned by Pune-based BG Shirke Construction Technology.
• Around 40% of India's crude oil imports, 60% of its LNG imports, and a whopping 90% of its LPG imports came from West Asia through the strait.
• Requests for comments emailed to Petronet LNG, SCI, BG Shirke Construction Technology, and Five Stars Shipping didn't elicit any response.
• Plenty of of the vessels are linked to UAE-based entities, particularly the Abu Dhabi National Oil Business (ADNOC) group.

As seen from Musandam, Oman, vessels near the Strait of Hormuz. (Reuters/File).

Two ships owned and operated by India-based entities feature on the list of 45 "non-compliant" vessels issued by Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) for allegedly violating terms set by Tehran for transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Notably, the Indian Express analysed the ownership and management records of the blacklisted vessels named by the PGSA on Sunday. As per the analysis, the two Indian vessels on the list are LNG (liquefied natural gas) tanker Disha and bulk carrier Maha Roos. Apart from these two, some of the other ships have a history of transporting cargo, particularly energy, to India.

Plenty of of the vessels are linked to UAE-based entities, particularly the Abu Dhabi National Oil Business (ADNOC) group. Apart from India, vessels linked to entities based in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Greece, the Netherlands, South Korea, Singapore and Norway are additionally on the list. A Pakistan-flagged crude oil tanker is among those blacklisted.

'Fully prepared': Iran threatens tit-for-tat move with oil chokehold as US widens economic sanctions.

Some of these vessels had additionally faced attacks around the Strait of Hormuz in the months since the West Asia war kicked off late February.

"In light of violations by certain vessels of the Iranian arrangements for transiting the Strait of Hormuz, these vessels will face restrictions in their future transits through Strait of Hormuz, such as fines, seizure, or confiscation, " the PGSA remarked in a post on X late Sunday. To avoid potential problems, it is necessary for cargo owners – to the destination or from the origin – to review the list of the vessels on the PGSA's website, it stated.

"Vessels that, from this date onward, engage in ship-to-ship transfers, transshipment, etc., with vessels on this list will themselves be continued to this list. Additionally, vessels wishing to have their names removed from this list must submit their request along with the relevant explanation to [email protected], " the PGSA remarked.

For context, the PGSA didn't elaborate on the alleged violations by the vessels. It include crude oil tankers, oil product tankers, LNG tankers, container ships and bulk carriers.

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Disha is an LNG tanker chartered on a long-term basis by Petronet LNG, India's largest LNG importer, for bringing super-chilled natural gas. As per shipping databases, Disha is owned by the India LNG Transport Firm No.1. It is a joint venture between state-owned Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) and a few foreign shipping businesses. Disha sails under the flag of Malta, and the SCI serves as its commercial manager as well as its marine international safety manager.

At present, in view of the suspension in LNG supplies from Qatar due to the West Asia conflict, Petronet LNG has suspended operations of Disha and two other LNG tankers that are on long-term charters specifically for bringing Qatari LNG, the business management had noted to journalists earlier this month. The three tankers created regular runs between India and Qatar before the war. Earlier, Disha was stranded in the Persian Gulf for over three months as vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz came to a near halt against the backdrop of the conflict. It was finally able to cross the Strait of Hormuz on June 15. As per ship tracking data, Disha is stationed off the coast of Gujarat.

While Mumbai-based Five Stars Shipping is listed as the bulk carrier's commercial and international safety manager, india-flagged Maah Roos is owned by Pune-based BG Shirke Construction Technology. As per vessel tracking data, as of Tuesday afternoon, the ship was at anchor off the Brazilian coast in South America.

In June, the newly constituted authority had remarked that all ships wanting to transit the Strait of Hormuz must seek its approval, and that it intended to charge fees for services like maritime security, navigation assistance, environmental protection, and insurance going forward. Tehran has additionally been insisting that vessels should transit the strait using routings designated by it.

But the US and its regional allies have resisted Tehran's stance, encouraging vessels to apply the strait's waters hugging Oman as an alternative to Iran-designated shipping lanes, and without seeking any permission from the PGSA.

For context, the PGSA published this list of "non-compliant" vessels just days after the US threatened Iran with the "toughest sanctions in history".

Washington is additionally running its own blockade on Iran-linked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz region. The strait is a critical maritime chokepoint, particularly for global energy supplies. Before the war, it accounted for 20% of global crude and LNG flows.

India and China have traditionally been the major destinations for cargo, particularly energy shipments, exiting the strait, with the rest of Asia making up a bulk of the remaining traffic. Around 40% of India's crude oil imports, 60% of its LNG imports, and a whopping 90% of its LPG imports came from West Asia through the strait. The country's dependence on imports stands at over 88% for oil, 60% for LPG, and regarding 50% for natural gas. It is imported as LNG.

For now, two Indian ships among 45 blacklisted by Iran for Strait of Hormuz remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.