The blockade of Iran continues despite a fragile ceasefire, while the US on Wednesday halted a three-day naval mission to open the Strait of Hormuz.“Technically, Hormuz is open. Ships are transiting, but for commercial traffic. The risks are still very high,” Deoli said. times of India On Wednesday. Before the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February, thousands of ships passed through the strait each month. But by April, crossings fell to barely 5%.Ships stuck in the strait currently avoid a lethal combination of sanctions, IRGC patrols and naval escorts.Deoli said, “We understand that some neutral-flag ships are transiting with Iran’s tacit permission or US protection”, but “normal traffic” has stopped.The ships that are moving are doing so on borrowed time and on borrowed trust – ships from countries that Iran considers “friends,” Chinese-flagged bulk carriers broadcasting their ownership over open radio, Pakistani ships, neutral-flagged tankers carrying cargo to neutral countries, including India. As of Monday, US-flagged commercial ships had also stayed away. And until recently, not a single American-flagged ship had crossed it.That changed on May 4 when two U.S.-flagged merchant ships transited Hormuz amid the Iranian blockade under the escort of a U.S. Navy guided missile destroyer as part of Washington’s Project Freedom.When the first Indian ship came out, then the second, sixth, seventh, eighth – confidence was growing. Then, on April 18, two Indian-flagged ships were fired upon by IRGC boats: VLCC Sanmar Herald (2 million barrels of Iraqi crude) and bulk carrier Jag Arnav. An audio captured the Sanmar Herald’s radio plea: “Sipah Navy! You cleared – I’m second on your list. Now you’re firing! Let me back!”The incident prompted India to raise the matter with the Iranian ambassador regarding the safety of its sailors, but the trust of Indian sailors – already fragile – was broken.“‘You cleaned me out yourself,’ the captain was heard saying to the Iranians over the radio. It tells you the level of uncertainty that sailors on ships passing through the strait are dealing with,” Deoli said.A few weeks ago, a Hong Kong-bound tanker sank after attempting a surreptitious transit – collided and burst into flames – after the IRGC warned all traffic about mined waters.There was a brief success over the weekend. Marshall Islands-flagged MT Sarva Shakti, carrying 46,313 tonnes of LPG for Indian Oil Corporation and manned by 18 Indians, transited the strait on 2 May and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam by 13 May. This is the first tanker tied to India after the collapse of peace talks in Islamabad on April 13 and the subsequent nearly two weeks of severe disruption caused by the US naval blockade around Iranian ports.During the height of hostilities last month, Gulf port operations also slowed dramatically. Shipping supplies, food distribution and basic services for Indian sailors and crew members were disrupted in several hubs, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait. That situation has since stabilized, Deoli said.India has so far facilitated the movement of eight LPG ships through the strait during the crisis with diplomatic engagement and close coordination between Iranian and Indian government agencies, naval authorities and maritime bodies. Indian flagged ships are currently operating strictly under compliance protocols with government instructions and restrictions.NUSI and the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) have advised Indian personnel in the region to maintain strict vigilance in Iranian waters and the Strait of Hormuz, avoid unnecessary shore departures, keep communication systems operational and regularly monitor advisories issued by Indian authorities.Since shipowners pay premiums to keep crew on board, war-risk insurance costs have increased sharply by as much as 70% – adding up to millions of dollars in additional costs per voyage.The crisis is becoming financially painful for Indian shipowners, especially those with fixed-term contracts.