Khaberni - Two oil tankers attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz today, Sunday, towards the Gulf before they turned back following the announcement of the failed negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
According to ship tracking data, three very large oil tankers, not directly linked to Iran, began approaching the narrow waterway from the Gulf of Oman late Saturday night, before reaching near Larak Island, Iran, early Sunday morning.
At this point, which represents an actual barrier, the tanker "Agios Fanourios I" heading to Iraq, and the tanker "Shalamar" flying the flag of Pakistan and heading to Das Island in the United Arab Emirates, turned back.
In contrast, the third tanker "Mombasa B" continued its advance, crossing between Larak and Qeshm islands along a route approved by Iran into the Arabian Gulf, without yet declaring a clear destination.
The direct reasons behind the retreat of the two tankers, as well as the success of the third tanker in crossing, remain unclear, although Iraq and Pakistan had previously obtained approvals from Iran to cross the strait. This development coincides with the announcement of the failure of negotiators in Islamabad to reach an agreement.
On the other hand, the Strait of Hormuz is one of the most important energy corridors in the world, and its actual closure since the beginning of the US and Israel strikes on Iran six weeks ago has led to unprecedented disruptions in supplies. Also, reopening it was a key point in the negotiations over the weekend, but it is still a matter of disagreement.
In a related context, several ships tried to cross the strait over the past few weeks before retreating, amid a volatile security situation and ongoing high risks. Most of these ships were attempting to leave the Arabian Gulf, while there is also a need for empty tankers inside it to load new shipments.
On a related note, two Chinese container ships turned around last month before later successfully exiting, while an LNG tanker withdrew last week.
If the three ships had successfully crossed today, Sunday, it would have reinforced a positive trend in navigation through the waterway controlled by Iran and dominated by ships linked to it since the end of February. Yesterday, Saturday, two giant Chinese tankers and a Greek ship left the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz loaded with crude oil.
In this context, the Greek company Eastern Mediterranean Maritime manages the tanker "Agios Fanourios I", while the Pakistan National Shipping Corp. owns the tanker "Shalamar", with neither issuing an immediate response to requests for comment sent outside business hours.
The tanker "Mombasa B", formerly named "Front Forth", is currently owned by Haut Brion 8 SA, which shares the same address with its manager, Sinokor Maritime Co. in South Korea, without a comment issued from them either outside official working hours.
