Operation Sankalp | 21 Jun 2019

The Indian Navy has launched ‘Operation Sankalp’ in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman as a measure to assure the safety and security of the Indian vessels, following the recent maritime incidents in the region.

• The operation has been launched in the wake of escalating tension in the Gulf of Oman, where two oil tankers were attacked recently. The U.S. considers Iran responsible for the attacks, heightening tensions between the two countries.
• Indian Navy Ships Chennai and Sunayna have been deployed in the Gulf of Oman and Persian Gulf to undertake maritime security operations. In addition, aerial surveillance by IN aircraft is also being undertaken in the area.
• The Information Fusion Centre - Indian Ocean Region is also keeping a close watch on the movement of ships in the Gulf region.

The Persian Gulf

• Also called the Arabian Gulf, it is a shallow marginal sea of the Indian Ocean that lies between the Arabian Peninsula and the southwestern Iran.
• Its length is around 990 km and its width varies from a maximum of around 340 km to a minimum of 55 km in the Strait of Hormuz.
• It is bordered on the north, northeast, and east by Iran; on the southeast and south by part of Oman and the United Arab Emirates; on the southwest and west by Qatar, Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia; and on the northwest by Kuwait and Iraq.
• The area has approximately two-thirds of the world’s estimated proven oil reserves and one-third of the world’s estimated proven natural gas reserves.
• A considerable amount of sea trade passes through the gulf, leading to heavy traffic in the region.
• There remains an incessant traffic of large tankers that carry oil from the large marine terminals situated in Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates and other locations to all parts of the world.

The Gulf of Oman

• The Gulf of Oman, northwest arm of the Arabian Sea, lies between the eastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula (Oman) and Iran.
• It is 560 km long and connects with the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
• It is a shipping route for the oil-producing area around the Persian Gulf.
• It offers the only entrance from the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean into the Persian Gulf, thus the world’s major oil exporters and importers have a joint interest in its security.