Two LPG tankers — Shivalik and Nanda Devi — carrying 92,000 metric tonnes of LPG today crossed the Strait of Hormuz under escort of the Indian Navy. The arrival of the cargo is expected to help ease pressure on domestic LPG supplies amid disruptions caused by the ongoing West Asia conflict.The ships are scheduled to dock at the ports of Mundra and Kandla in Gujarat on March 16 and March 17, respectively. These are the first India-bound LPG ships to cross the Hormuz in almost two weeks. Both are India-flagged Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) tankers.Six more tankers laden with LPG are in queue to transit the narrow 33-km strait between Iran and Oman, said Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Special Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, at a press conference today.On the domestic supply situation, Sujata Sharma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said, “The situation is grave but LPG cylinders are available, so don’t panic… production of domestic LPG has increased by 31 per cent. We hope to add more volumes of domestic production. There has been a surge in LPG bookings due to panic buying. Daily bookings have increased from an average of 55.7 lakh to 88.8 lakh yesterday.”“We are prioritising domestic LPG supplies and conducting continuous joint inspections to prevent black marketing,” she said, adding that people should book cylinders online instead of rushing to distributors. In the case of commercial users, states had been empowered to decide priorities at their level.Sharma also advised that domestic and commercial users who could shift to piped natural gas should do so as soon as possible. “There is sufficient petrol and diesel available. Not a single pump is dry,” she added.The passage of the LPG tankers comes after a series of conversations between the Indian and Iranian leadership. On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. “The safety and security of Indian nationals, along with the need for unhindered transit of goods and energy, remain India’s top priority,” Modi posted on X.External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has held four rounds of phone calls since February 28 with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi.Meanwhile, Abdul Majid Hakeem Ilahi, representative of Iran’s Supreme Leader in India, said, “The majority of Indians and their hearts are with Iran… We informed our people in Iran about the solidarity of our brothers and sisters in India. We also told them that they are now suffering from a shortage of gas and petrol and asked them to help and support.”On the high seas, a Navy warship, with all its defensive systems active, escorted the two tankers — Shivalik and Nanda Devi — out of the Hormuz. A Navy warship receives live feeds from its onboard radars as well as connectivity with indigenous satellites, maritime surveillance aircraft and drones. The situation is being monitored live in New Delhi and at the Joint Operations Centre along the west coastThe Navy maintains two ships permanently stationed in the area south of the Saudi Arabian peninsula. One ship operates in the Gulf of Aden, where the Navy has been providing anti-piracy escorts since 2008. Meanwhile, under Operation Sankalp launched in 2019, a warship stationed in the Gulf of Aden escorts merchant vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.