As the IRGC declares the Strait of Hormuz closed and vows to burn transiting vessels, India is moving toward Russia as a critical energy lifeline, tapping into its vast crude supplies to safeguard national security against Middle Eastern supply shocks

The escalating war between Israel, United States and Iran has fundamentally transformed India’s energy scenario, making Russian crude a non-negotiable pillar of national security.

In the wake of the joint US and Israeli offensive launched on February 28, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has declared full authority over the Strait of Hormuz, warning that any ships transiting the strategic chokepoint risk being destroyed.

Click Here For US-Iran-Israel War Live Updates

This blockade has effectively frozen the transit of approximately 2.5 to 2.7 million barrels per day (mbd) of crude that India traditionally sources from Iraq, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait.

With nearly half of its total oil imports at risk, India has turned back to Moscow to fill the vacuum, as Russian supplies remain largely insulated from this specific maritime chokepoint.

Strategic neutrality and legal shielding

India’s continued reliance toward Russia is further enabled by significant legal developments in the United States. While President Donald Trump issued an executive order on February 6, 2026, aimed at penalising India for Russian oil imports, his administration's leverage was curtailed by a landmark US Supreme Court ruling on February 20.

The US Supreme Court struck down the use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose sweeping tariffs, ruling that such authority rests with Congress.

This judicial constraint, combined with an interim trade deal that notably omitted any formal Indian commitment to stop buying Russian oil, has provided New Delhi with the necessary diplomatic and legal room to prioritise its own energy survival over Western pressure.

Safe shipping corridors

The primary reason Russian crude remains accessible during the Hormuz crisis is its reliance on maritime routes that bypass the Persian Gulf. Russian oil is transported through the Suez Canal to ports like Novorossiysk or St Petersburg, entering the Indian Ocean directly without ever needing to cross the Strait of Hormuz.

Even if the Red Sea becomes high-risk, shipments can be diverted around the Cape of Good Hope or through the Eastern Maritime Corridor from Vladivostok to Chennai, a Sberbank report said.

This logistical independence is a stark contrast to Middle Eastern supplies, which are currently "stuck". As insurance premiums skyrocket, traffic through the Strait has nearly plummeted to near zero.

Moreover, IRGC has claimed that they have put 10 ships on fire which were sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. These developments are hardly encounraging for maritime trade which put both lives and property at risk.

Critical vulnerabilities in gas and fuel

While crude oil is the primary focus, the "Hormuz Halt" has exposed even deeper vulnerabilities in India’s LPG and LNG supply chains. India imports 80–85 per cent of its LPG and 60 per cent of its LNG through the blockaded Strait.

Unlike crude oil, for which India maintains strategic petroleum reserves and commercial stocks sufficient for roughly 40 to 45 days, the country lacks large-scale strategic storage for gas.

With Qatar recently halting LNG production following drone attacks, the availability of Russian crude—including roughly 10 million barrels currently held in "floating storage" in Asian waters serves as a vital energy cushion.

Reality of shadow fleet

Despite the intensified trade war and the threat of sanctions, the flow of Russian oil into India remains robust and visible. ’s Lori Ann LaRocco reports that Kpler vessel tracking continues to identify tankers associated with Russia’s shadow fleet, such as the Giannis, Nyxora and Tiburon, unloading sanctioned Urals crude at major Indian refineries in Chennai, Paradip and Vadinar as recently as early March 2026.

While Saudi Arabia briefly narrowed the gap in February by increasing exports to 1 mbd, the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz has essentially eliminated that competition.

As Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak recently stated, Moscow is prepared to further increase supplies to India, cementing a partnership that has become essential for keeping the Indian economy operational amid a global energy shock.