On Sunday, April 5th, a tanker carrying Iraqi crude oil was navigating through the Strait of Hormuz near the coast of Iran. The day before, Iran announced that it would allow commercial ships from neighboring Iraq to pass through this crucial maritime passage without being attacked.
Data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) and the commodity data company Kpler confirmed that the tanker appears to be traversing the vital shipping route of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Kpler’s data, the tanker, named “Ocean Thunder,” loaded approximately one million barrels of Basrah Heavy crude oil in Iraq on March 2nd, and is expected to unload in mid-April in Pengerang, Malaysia.
After the joint strike against Iran by the United States and Israel on February 28th, Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. The strait, located between Iran and Oman at the narrow entrance of the Persian Gulf, connecting the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and the Arabian Sea, is one of the world’s most important shipping channels. Approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas is transported through the Strait of Hormuz.
Last month, the U.S. warned that if Iran continues to block the Strait of Hormuz, the military will target the country’s power facilities. In response to the threat, Iran stated in late March that it would allow ships not affiliated with the U.S. or Israel to pass through the strait.
In recent days, three merchant ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz, including a tanker operated by Oman, a French-owned container ship, and a Japanese-owned liquefied natural gas carrier.
Iran’s military announced on Saturday that it has also approved exemptions to shipping restrictions for Iraq, but it remains unclear how this exemption will be implemented in practice.
According to data compiled by Bloomberg, the “Ocean Thunder” is currently passing through a narrow northbound route across the Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran’s Larak and Qeshm Islands. Recent records indicate that ships passing through the strait recently seem to be using this approved route through Iran.
(Reference: Reuters)