At least eight oil and gas tankers crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday after Iran briefly declared the crucial trade route open during a ceasefire in the Middle East war, maritime tracking data showed.
One crude oil tanker, four liquified petroleum gas carriers, two oil and chemical tankers and one classified as an “oil products” vessel crossed the strait early Saturday after the Iranian announcement on Friday afternoon, data from tracking firm Kpler indicated.
Around a fifth of the world’s oil and liquified natural gas pass the strait in peacetime but traffic through the route had come to a near-standstill after the war erupted on February 28 with US and Israeli strikes on Iran.
Tracking platform MarineTraffic showed several other crude oil tankers had approached the strait but then turned back near Iran’s Larak Island, a checkpoint for vessels seeking to exit the Gulf under Iranian forces’ blockade of the passage in the war.
Iran’s central military command on Saturday appeared to reverse the decision to reopen the route, saying it would resume “strict management” of the strait in protest at a US naval counter-blockade.
Iranian forces’ closure of the strait has trapped hundreds of ships in the Gulf and driven up the price of oil and the costs of shipping goods, with captains avoiding the region for fear of attacks or mines.
At least three of the vessels tracked exiting via the strait on Saturday were listed as being under US sanctions. Some ships in the strait broadcast their destination as linked to India or China in a signal of neutrality.
MarineTraffic showed a handful of other cargo vessels in the strait early on Saturday, including several container ships bearing the name of major French shipping firm CMA CGM.
It also indicated that a cruise ship, the Celestyal Discovery, became the first passenger vessel to transit the strait since the start of the conflict.
It crossed close to the coast of Oman on Friday afternoon after remaining docked for about 47 days in the UAE.
“Reports indicate the vessel is sailing without passengers,” Marine Traffic said in a post on X.
The shipping industry had reacted guardedly to the reopening on Friday.
“The status of mine threats in (Iran’s maritime) traffic separation scheme is unclear,” Jakob Larsen, chief security officer of major shipping association BIMCO, said in a statement emailed to AFP.
“BIMCO believes shipping companies should consider avoiding the area.”
AFP
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