On April 10–11, 2026, there were reports that a high-value United States Navy high-altitude, long-endurance surveillance drone, named MQ-4C Triton, capable of operating above 50,000 feet as the "eyes over the ocean" for the US Navy, was missing over the Strait of Hormuz. 

Despite repeated claims by Trump that Iran’s air force and navy had been “obliterated” Iran is reported to possess a vast, domestically produced arsenal including a massive inventory of ballistic and cruise missiles, attack drones and naval anti-ship capabilities. Key systems include Shahab-3 and Sejjil medium-range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) with 2,000 km range), Fateh-110 short range ballistic missiles (SRBMs), Shahed suicide drones, Soumar cruise missiles, Ghadir-class midget submarines, Fateh-class medium submarines and an estimated 2,000 to 6,000 sea mines, ranging from simple contact mines to advanced influence and smart rocket mines. Primarily designed for shallow waters like the Strait of Hormuz, these mines include indigenous models such as the Maham series (3, 7), Sadaf-02, and imported types, aimed at disrupting shipping. Sadaf-02, M-08) float below the surface and detonate upon physical contact with a ship's hull. Bottom influence mines placed on the seafloor are harder to detect and are triggered by a vessel's acoustic, magnetic, or pressure signatures. Advanced mines  like the Chinese-made EM-52 that rest on the seafloor and on detecting a vessel, launches a rocket at it. Limpet mines are those attached directly to a ship's hull by divers or fast boats to damage or sink them. And there are also floating explosives designed to move with the current. 

 Trump said that the US will also begin destroying the mines which he claimed Iran has laid around the strait.  He also said: “I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran……No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas……Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be blown to hell!"

After Trump finally got going with the U.S. naval blockade, following which, around March 25-26, 2026,  the Indian Navy (IN) reportedly launched Operation (Op) Urja Suraksha (Energy Protection) by deploying warships near the Strait of Hormuz, to escort India-bound energy tankers. US-Israeli strikes on Iran since February 28, 2026 resulted in the Strait of Hormuz becoming critical, leading to significant delays and risks for Indian tankers. IN initiated patrols and escort duties, with vessels like the LPG tanker Jag Vikram passing through on April 11, 2026, under naval escort.

Op Energy Security 

Aimed at securing vital oil and gas supplies to India, from April 13, 2026, onwards, Op Urja Suraksha’s ambit was increased by deploying multiple Indian naval ships in the region to guide and actively escort merchant Indian-flagged commercial vessels through the area, which has seen disruptions from regional tensions. At least 10 Indian vessels have reportedly successfully transited the area under IN’s monitoring.

Op Urja Suraksha is an expanded version of Op Sankalp (meaning a solemn vow, firm determination), an ongoing maritime security operation which was launched by the IN on June 19, 2019, to ensure the safe passage of Indian-flagged merchant vessels through the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. It aims to protect crucial energy imports from regional conflicts, as nearly 62% of India's oil imports come from the region. 

Op Sankalp’s roles and objectives include: (a) To be an effective, long-term strategic tool for the Indian Navy that indirectly counters Chinese maritime expansionism, which includes Chinese “research” vessels actually snooping in the Indian Ocean Region and generally asserting India's role as a dominant regional security provider. (b) Ensuring safe passage for Indian-flagged vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to safeguard maritime trade. (c) Deploying warships and aircraft, often utilizing stealth frigates, to maintain a continuous naval presence in the Gulf region. (d) Monitoring regional tensions, acting as a first responder to maritime emergencies, and protecting Indian interests. (e) Providing net security to ensure the safety of sea-borne trade and deter threats like piracy.

Op Sankalp has been executed through close coordination with the Ministries of Defence, External Affairs, Shipping, and Petroleum and Natural Gas. Since its inception, the operation has successfully escorted numerous merchant ships and provided, on average, safe passage for several vessels daily, strengthening India's role as a trusted regional power.

India declined to join a US-led multinational naval coalition in the Strait of Hormuz, choosing instead to deploy its own warships, including destroyers and frigates, to protect Indian-flagged tankers. This also amounted to a "go-it-alone" approach focused on national interests rather than foreign agendas.

The deployment is driven by the need to secure 80% of India's energy imports that transit the route, ensuring the supply of crude oil and LPG remains uninterrupted amid the 2026 regional conflict. IN stepped up its presence to include over six warships conducting escort missions from the Gulf of Oman, active air defence, and direct, low-key escorting of commercial tankers.

New Delhi implemented a dual approach of combining naval power with high-level diplomacy to negotiate safe passage for its tankers with stakeholders, including Iran. India’s naval deployment is a proactive effort to safeguard thousands of Indian seafarers working on ships in the volatile region. 

Whatever has been done by India could certainly not have pleased Trump who demanded that India should clear out of Chabahar, where it has  developing and operating the Shahid Beheshti Terminal at Chabahar through India Ports Global Limited (IPGL), set up in 2015, securing a 10-year contract in May 2024 to boost trade connectivity with Afghanistan and Central Asia. This strategic, $500-million investment provides a vital alternative route bypassing Pakistan, though operations face uncertainty due to US sanctions, with a conditional waiver extending until 26 April 2026. 

Managing US Pressure 

India is managing intense US pressure about its involvement in the Chabahar port, with the Washington providing only a six-month sanctions waiver set to expire in April 2026. While India has officially stated that exiting the project is "not an option" due to strategic interests in connecting with Afghanistan and Central Asia, it is actively negotiating for a long-term waiver to the sanctions. 

India maintains that the Chabahar project serves regional interests and New Delhi is in high-level talks with the Donald Trump administration to secure a waiver before the April 26, 2026, deadline.

Despite Chabahar’s strategic importance, India has reportedly stepped back in terms of new investment, with IPGL pausing, while having already fulfilled its previous $120 million commitment. India faces a difficult position, caught between risking US sanctions and losing a crucial logistical hub that bypasses Pakistan. 

India is manoeuvring to protect its investments while balancing its relationships with both the US and Iran amidst broader regional tensions. India has so far managed a complex, balancing act in the Strait of Hormuz, maintaining a much “Trump-troubled” relationship with the United States while securing its energy interests and protecting its vessels amidst a U.S.-led blockade of Iranian ports.

India has adopted a proactive stance with a commitment firm enough to include two aircraft carriers, INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, both with thirty fighter jet each, to be part of the naval task force in the Strait of Hormuz for maintaining its maritime security. Also, IN has established a new, carefully managed and little-known route- as advised by Iranian authorities - avoiding the international shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, which may be mined. IN is escorting vessels with a high degree of caution, providing precise navigation instructions, using hydrographic data to avoid seabed hazards.

(The author is a former spokesperson, Defence Ministry and Indian Army. Views expressed are personal. He can be contacted at wordsword02@gmail.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/anil-bhat-70b94766/ and @ColAnilBhat8252, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPJKaZOcAt9K8fcDkb_onng )