An Iran-bound crude shipment that was initially headed for India changed course mid-voyage and began moving towards China, sparking speculation that payment issues or sanctions-related hurdles may have forced the diversion. Now, the ministry of petroleum and natural gas has stepped in to clarify that there are no payment problems and any such claims are “factually incorrect.” Iran crude tanker changes course to China, govt says no payment issues (PTI/ Representational) The reports of a possible fallout came after ship-tracking firm Kpler said that the Aframax tanker Ping Shun—which had initially signalled Vadinar in Gujarat as its destination—had altered course and was now heading towards Dongying in China. Track US-Iran war live updates. Pushing back on the claims, the ministry of petroleum and natural gas said, “There are no payment hurdles for Iranian crude imports”. It also emphasised that Indian refiners continue to procure oil not just from Iran but from a diversified pool of suppliers worldwide. “India imports crude oil from 40 countries, with companies having full flexibility to source oil from different sources …