“Bhagya Lakshmi” – one of the two Indian-flagged tankers – returned to the Strait of Hormuz after being denied passage by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy following Iran’s announcement to close the narrow waterway.In a video shared by an Iranian journalist on Twitter, the ship’s crew members can be heard requesting permission to cross the Strait of Hormuz, while trying to communicate with the Iranian navy.Also read: Indian ship’s frantic distress call during Hormuz shootout revealed However, the Iranian Navy informed the ship that it did not have access.“Iranian Navy, it is bhagya lakshmi. I read you loud and clear,” a crew member said.On the other hand, the Iranian Navy asked the ship to “immediately return”. Bhagya Lakshmi complied.Meanwhile, another distress call emerged from the Sanmar Herald. A crew member aboard the crude oil tanker said, “SEPA Navy. SEPA Navy. This is the motor tanker Sanmar Herald. You cleared me to go. My name is second on your list. You are firing now. Let me go back,” the man was heard saying.Two Indian-flagged tankers returned to the Strait of Hormuz after reportedly being fired upon by Iranian gunmen yesterday, as the waterway – through which a fifth of the world’s oil and gas passes – remains at the center of confusion amid tensions between the US, Israel and Iran. Sources said no one was injured in the firing and there was no damage to the ships.According to Reuters, ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday received radio messages from Iran’s navy telling them they were not allowed to pass, while two ships were reported fired upon. The report said several commercial ships attempted to transit the strait after a notice to sailors a day earlier said passage was permitted but would be limited to lanes deemed safe by Iran.Meanwhile, India has expressed concern over the safety of merchant ships and sailors following reports of firing on commercial ships. The Ministry of External Affairs said that Iran had earlier also helped in ensuring safe passage for many ships bound for India.Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri urged the Iranian ambassador to convey New Delhi’s concerns to officials in Tehran and to quickly resume the process of facilitating safe passage for Indian ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The Ambassador assured that India’s concerns would be conveyed.As Iran addressed the incident of firing on Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz amid rising regional tensions, its top representative in India stressed strong ties and called for peace.“Relations between Iran and India are very strong and I do not know anything about this incident that you have mentioned and we hope it will be fine and resolved,” said Dr. Abdul Majeed Hakim Elahi, representative of the Supreme Leader of Iran in India.Iran’s Joint Military Command later said that control over the strait had returned to “strict management” by the armed forces.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) warned through the Tasnim news agency that ships approaching the strait could be considered to be operating in support of hostile forces and could be targeted.