India in Talks to Maintain Adequate Supplies Amid Iran-Israel Conflict

Amid escalating tensions in Middle East regions, Indian refiners are learnt to have started negotiating for additional crude cargoes from the countries like US, Russia and West Africa and others to ensure supplies remain adequate if the Iran vs Israel-US war drags on for a longer period in the future.

According to top government sources, refineries have deferred planned maintenance shutdowns and are maintaining normal processing rates to create buffers that could meet the country's requirement in the near term. Sensing some disruption of crude supply due to the partial halt in tanker movements through the strategic waterway — the Strait of Hormuz, the government also said that it would depend on non-strait sources to meet its oil demand.

“Non-strait sources are fully operational and we are sourcing more and more supplies from non-conflict zones. These sources of supply accounted for over 60 per cent of supplies in 2025 which after the Middle East conflict climbed to 70 per cent,” the sources said.

India imports about 88 per cent of its crude oil, with roughly half of those supplies in February passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow sea-lane between Iran and Oman that serves as a key energy transit route for global markets. But the recent military strikes by the US and Israel on Iran followed by Tehran’s retaliation have sharply escalated tensions in the region, hurting the oil supply in some way or the other.