Two very large crude carriers loaded with Iranian oil have reached Indian ports, ship tracking data from LSEG shows, as local refiners utilise a temporary waiver granted by the United States last month to resume purchases from Tehran for the first time in seven years. The current waiver is due to expire on April 19. The Iran-flagged Felicity has reached Sikka Port in western India, while the Curacao-flagged Jaya is at the eastern port of Odisha, the data shows. A VLCC carries 2 million barrels of oil. India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, has not received a cargo from Iran since May 2019 after coming under U.S. pressure not to buy the country's crude. Indian Oil Corp, the country's top refiner, has bought Iranian oil loaded on the Jaya, a vessel under U.S. sanctions, Reuters reported last week. India has also allowed Reliance Industries Ltd, the operator of the world's biggest refining complex, to buy Iranian oil loaded on the Comoros-flagged...
Two flights from India to Qatar have been cancelled after Iran launched a missile attack on the US air base in Doha. IndiGo and Air India operated these flights. The IndiGo flight was supposed to fly from Delhi, while the other flight was scheduled from Cochin. Several other airlines have also either diverted their flights or returned them to their origin airports over the tense situation in the Middle East.
Air India Express diverted its Doha-bound flight from Kochi to Muscat and returned its flight, which was scheduled from Kannur. "We have no other flights bound for Qatar," it said in a statement.
"We are monitoring the situation closely and will take all necessary precautions for the safety and security of our guests and crew, with inputs from the relevant authorities," it added.
Iran's military said on Monday it had carried out a "devastating and powerful" missile attack on the Al Udeid US airbase in Qatar, after explosions were heard across the Qatari capital following Tehran's threat to retaliate for US airstrikes.
Kuwait said it was closing its airspace "until further notice" on Monday after a similar move from Bahrain as Iran attacked a US base in Qatar in retaliation for American strikes in Iran.
Meanwhile, Qatar has strongly condemned the attack, announcing it reserves the right to respond directly in a manner equivalent to the "nature and scale of this brazen aggression", in line with international law.
The White House and the Defense Department are closely monitoring potential threats to the Al Udeid airbase, a senior White House official said.
from NDTV News- Special https://ift.tt/1sWzJMG
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