Two LPG-laden ships, the Shivalik and the Nanda Devi, have crossed the Strait of Hormuz under escort of the Indian Navy.A Navy warship, with all its air defence systems operating, has escorted the two tankers out of the Hormuz, a 33 kms wide water body between Iran and Oman, sources confirmed on Saturday.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 and are collectively carrying almost 85,000 metric tonnes of natural gas. At the pace an LPG tanker can travel at sea, the ships are expected to reach Indian shores by Monday night.   Sources said the passage has come about after a series of conversations the Indian and the Iranian leadership have had.On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Modi expressed deep concern over escalating hostilities and the loss of civilian lives. “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 had four rounds of phone calls – since February 28 — with his Iranian counterpart Seyed Abbas Araghchi.Sources said the vessels are being escorted and guided by the Indian Navy to ensure safe passage through the sensitive maritime corridor, which remains one of the world’s most critical energy transit routes. To keep an eye on the situation in the waters, the Navy warship gets live feed from its own radars besides connectivity of indigenous satellites, maritime surveillance planes and drones. The situation is being monitored live in New Delhi and also at the joint operations centre along the west coast.It is possible that a Navy or Coast Guard ship will meet the tankers mid-way to escort to shore.The Navy has two ships always stationed in the area south of Saudi Arabian Peninsula. One ship is in Gulf of Aden, as Navy provides non-stop anti-piracy escort since 2008. Meanwhile Operation Sankalp was launched in 2019 and a warship is stationed in Gulf of Aden it is tasked to escort mercantile vessels past the Hormuz.Meanwhile, more than two dozen India-flagged ships are on either side of the HormuzAround 23,000 Indian seafarers are working across merchant, harbour and offshore vessels in the wider Gulf region.Since strikes by the United States and Israel against Iran in late February ignited the war in West Asia, Iran launched its own attacks against its oil-exporting neighbours in the Gulf region.The strikes have threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and plunged the global energy economy into crisis.