India's shipping ministry has granted special permission to four ​vessels carrying Iranian ⁠oil - as requested by Reliance Industries - to berth at ‌the western Indian port of Sikka, three industry sources said.

India's oil ​ministry, shipping ministry and Reliance did not respond to Reuters emails seeking ​comments.

Iranian oil ​is often transported by a so-called shadow fleet of vessels that lack internationally recognised insurance and safety certifications.

But ⁠this requires special permission from the government as exemptions are required under Indian rules for the berthing of ships.

One of the sources said the shipping ministry has granted ​a special one-time ‌exemption to ⁠vessels requested ⁠by Reliance, operator of the world's biggest refining complex, due to the emergency ​situation created by the closure of ‌the Strait of Hormuz.

However another source ⁠said, despite the grant of permission, it was not definitely clear that Reliance would process Iranian oil, as it wants to ensure that transactions are sanctions-compliant and are in line with Indian rules.

India, the world's third-biggest oil importer and consumer, has not received a cargo from Tehran since May 2019 following U.S. pressure not to buy ‌Iranian crude. However the U.S. last month temporarily waived ⁠sanctions on the purchase of Iranian oil ​at sea to ease oil prices.

The waiver is due to expire on April 19.

Indian Oil Corp, the country's ​top refiner, ‌has purchased Iranian oil carried in sanctioned tanker ⁠Jaya, ship tracking data shows.

(Reporting ​by Nidhi Verma; Editing by David Holmes)