West Asia crisis | Only 6-7 transits in a day in Strait of Hormuz; 1,900 ships are stranded: Navy Chief

New Delhi: Since the start of the West Asia conflict, the daily traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has fallen sharply to just 6–7 transits, compared to a pre-conflict average of about 130, Chief of the Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh Tripathi said on Wednesday.

Addressing the naval investiture ceremony in Mumbai, the Navy Chief said about 1,900 vessels are stranded and more than 23 merchant vessels have been attacked since the beginning of the war involving the USA, Israel and Iran.

“The seas are no longer secondary theatres where continental conflicts spill over. Instead they are becoming the first arena where strategic intent is signaled and contested, often with disproportionate consequences,” he said.

The India Navy has been providing active protection and escort services to merchant vessels and tankers carrying crude and LPG once they exit the Strait of Hormuz.

Because of the evolving technologies and tactics, the non-traditional challenges are becoming more complex and less predictable to counter. As a result conflicts are being reshaped.

Months ahead of the first anniversary of Operation Sindoor, Admiral Tripathi said India was “just minutes away” from striking Pakistan from sea when Islamabad requested ceasefire.

“We undertook swift deployment and maintained a highly aggressive posture throughout the period. It is not a hidden fact any more that we were just minutes away from striking Pakistan from sea, when they requested stoppage of kinetic actions,” he said.

As the first responder in the region, the Indian Navy swung into action promptly to various humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions at short notice and in challenging conditions - from Operation Brahma in Myanmar, to Operation Sagar Bandhu in Sri Lanka.

The navy inducted 12 ships and submarines in a last year and is in course to commission at least 15 platforms in the current fiscal.