In a rare diplomatic manoeuvre, India has managed to safely navigate its crude oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, currently the world’s most volatile maritime chokepoints right, without military intervention or confrontation.
Reacting to the situation, Robert Kiyosaki, the author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, shared in a social media post that while ships from the US, Europe, and Israel face blockades or attacks, India managed to get its tankers through safely. He elaborated how the Indian government protected its shipping and energy supplies without firing a single shot, running a 24-hour control room and securing safe passage with just three calls from External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
Robert Kiyosaki reacts to India’s ‘diplomatic win’ at Strait of Hormuz
The Liberian-flagged tanker Shenlong, captained by an Indian, departed Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura port on March 1 carrying 135,335 metric tonnes of crude oil. By March 8, it entered the Strait of Hormuz, but then seemingly vanished from public tracking systems after its crew switched off the mandatory AIS transponder.
The vessel, invisible to standard maritime monitoring, emerged the next day on the other side of the strait and docked at Mumbai Port on March 11, marking the first Indian crude shipment to pass safely since the escalation of the ongoing war.
The importance of this transit cannot be overstated. Iran has effectively blocked vessels linked to the United States, Europe, and Israel, with ships crossing without permission reportedly targeted by the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Two vessels, the Express Rome and Mayuree Naree, were recently attacked after ignoring Iran’s warnings, with the IRGC naval commander stating, “Any vessel intending to pass must obtain permission from Iran.”
According to Kiyosaki, India, however, secured a safe corridor through diplomacy rather than force. “So how did India get through?” Kiyosaki wrote, adding, “three phone calls.”
He continued, “India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has now spoken directly with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi three times in two weeks — February 28, March 5, and March 10.”
The discussions focused on the safety of Indian shipping and energy security, resulting in Tehran granting clearance for Indian-flagged vessels. Following Shenlong, two additional tankers, Pushpak and Parimal, have successfully transited the strait. “US ships: blocked, European ships: blocked, Israeli-linked ships: targeted, Indian ships: cleared,” he added.
India protected its energy supply without firing a single shot
Going by the data, over half of India’s crude oil and gas imports pass through the Strait of Hormuz route, which normally channels 20 million barrels of oil per day. Kiyosaki believes that with the global emergency oil reserve release of 400 million barrels unable to reduce prices amid the Strait’s closure, India’s diplomatic success represents a strategic victory in protecting national energy security without engaging in conflict.
“And India just negotiated its own private lane through it. Not through military force. Not through sanctions. Through diplomacy. 28 Indian-flagged vessels are operating in the Persian Gulf right now. 677 Indian seafarers are west of the Strait, India’s government has had a 24-hour control room running since February 28, monitoring every single one of them,” he wrote.
According to him, this proactive approach ensured not only the safe passage of its ships but also the uninterrupted flow of vital crude supplies into India’s ports. “They had everything to lose. And they protected it — without firing a single shot,” he concluded.