India on Saturday said it is in touch with all key stakeholders in West Asia to ensure the safe passage of Indian-flagged merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz to ensure the country’s energy security, even as two LPG tankers sailed through the crucial waterway and headed towards Indian ports.. A total of 22 Indian-flagged merchant vessels are still in the Persian Gulf. (REUTERS/File). A total of 22 Indian-flagged merchant vessels, including six LPG carriers, an LNG carrier, and four crude oil tankers, are in the Persian Gulf and awaiting safe passage, officials told a media briefing on the situation in West Asia. Shivalik and Nanda Devi, two carriers with 92,700 metric tonnes of LPG, transited the Strait of Hormuz early on Saturday and are expected to dock at Mundra and Kandla next week, they said.. Since the start of the Iran-US conflict on February 28, India has called for de-escalation, emphasised the need to ensure the unimpeded transit of goods and energy, and urged all sides to avoid the targeting of civilian infrastructure, including energy infrastructure, across the region, said external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.. India’s leadership reached out to all key interlocutors, including members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Iran, Israel, and the US, and underlined the country’s focus on energy security. “As a result of these multiple contacts with all concerned, some ships destined for India have been able to cross through the Strait of Hormuz,” Jaiswal said.. Separately, Iranian ambassador Mohammad Fathali said at the India Today Conclave that Tehran has allowed some Indian-flagged vessels to transit the Strait of Hormuz following contacts between President Masoud Pezeshkian and Prime Minister Narendra, and foreign ministers S Jaishankar and Seyed Abbas Araghchi.. “Yes, we have allowed [the vessels] but let me not tell you how many,” Fathali said. He declined to go into details and said he would continue following this issue so that more vessels could cross the strait. “As the ambassador, I did my best, of course, there was some delay, but it happened,” he said.. Iran and India have common interests and “any rift or gap” between them can be taken advantage of by “enemies”, Fathali said. “Both sides have the maturity to handle political and social issues together and solve everything,” he added.. Rajesh Kumar Sinha, special secretary in the shipping ministry, said the Shivalik is expected to dock at Mundra port on March 16 and the Nanda Devi at Kandla port on March 17. Authorities have issued instructions for priority berthing of LPG carriers at Indian ports to maintain energy supplies, and six LPG carriers arrived at ports from different parts of the world in the past three days, he said.. “Several of our ships remain on standby in the Gulf region. We propose to continue to remain in touch and coordinate with all concerned countries to ensure a safe and unimpeded transit for