India denies cash, crypto payments to Iran for Hormuz passage

New Delhi: India on Wednesday denied making any payments - either in cash or cryptocurrency - to Iran to secure safe passage for its vessels through the Strait of Hormuz amid heightened tensions in the region.

The clarification came after two Indian vessels had to turn back from the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian forces fired upon them as they attempted to cross the crucial waterway on April 18.

Before turning back, the captain of Indian tanker Sanmar Herald, in an audio recording that has surfaced, is heard pleading with Iranian forces to stop firing despite prior clearance to pass the Strait of Hormuz. "This is motor vessel, Sanmar Herald. You gave me clearance to go, my name is second on your list... You are firing now. Let me turn back." While New Delhi has consistently rejected claims of any financial arrangements with Tehran for ship movement through the critical energy corridors, some reports linked the April 18 incident to a crypto scam.

Reports suggest scammers are offering shipowners fake safe passage through the strait in exchange for crypto. At least one ship fell victim to the scam and was fired at while attempting to pass through the waterway, according to Marisk, a maritime risk services company.

At a news briefing, Mukesh Mangal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, termed as "fake news" the report of any payment being made for the safe passage of Sanmar Herald.

"News is spreading about a reported payment by the captain of the vessel Sanmar Herald in US dollar to persons claiming to represent the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy to grant passage, and fell victim to cyber criminals. We spoke with the owner of the vessel, and he confirmed that it is fake news and no such incident had happened," he said.

He said his ministry, in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, assesses the situation before asking Indian vessels, stranded in the Persian Gulf since the start of the Iran war, to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

"This unfortunate incident (of Iranian guards firing on Indian ships) happened on April 18. There was firing on two of our vessels, that's why they had to go back," he said. "As we have been telling in past also, we do not have any new data, any confirmation on any of our vessels has paid money to any of the authorities for this purpose." He termed as "fake news" reports suggesting that Sanmar Herald paid money to some cybercriminals, and that's why it was fired upon.

"There is no relation (between the firing and the reports)," he said. "This is fake news." Chennai-based Sanmar Shipping denied any payment.

"It has come to our attention that there have been reports on social media about Sanmar Shipping's very large crude carrier, Sanmar Herald, flying the Indian flag, falling prey to a cryptocurrency scam.

"We would like to clarify that these reports are completely false," it said in a statement.

The shipping line said it is working in close coordination with the relevant agency of the Indian government to ensure the safe passage of Sanmar Herald.

According to shipping monitor TankerTrackers.com, two India-flagged ships, including a supertanker carrying Iraqi crude, were forced to turn back on April 18 after coming under fire.

The disruptions come as scores of commercial vessels and thousands of seafarers remain stranded in the Persian Gulf since the outbreak of the West Asia war on February 28, which has sharply curtailed movement through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz handles about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, making it one of the world's most critical energy arteries. Iran's ability to disrupt traffic through the narrow passage has emerged as a key lever in the conflict.

The halt in transit has driven up energy prices, triggered supply shortages in parts of the world and forced some countries to ration fuel, underscoring the global impact of the standoff.