Dubai: Two fully laden Chinese oil tankers were observed near the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, as concerns persist over the safe passage through the pivotal maritime chokepoint. This development comes a day after a US-Iran ceasefire was announced, according to MarineTraffic data.
According to Anadolu Agency, the Cospearl Lake, a large crude carrier associated with China’s state-owned Cosco Shipping Corp., and the He Rong Hai, owned by a smaller entity, were seen moving east at high speed early Thursday before slowing to a near standstill. These vessels could potentially become the first to exit the Persian Gulf under the newly declared truce. Both tankers are displaying signals indicating Chinese ownership on their tracking systems, a measure generally adopted during Iran-sanctioned transits.
The gathering of these tankers is part of a broader accumulation of vessels near the strait’s entrance, adjacent to the UAE. Among them are a Saudi Arabian-flagged VLCC, the Jaham, which also moved east towards a holding area off Dubai. It joined two Indian-flagged supertankers, the Desh Vibhor and the Desh Vaibhav, which have been stationed in the vicinity since late March. This buildup suggests a possibility that shipowners might be considering testing the reopening of the strait after weeks of obstruction, though passage conditions remain ambiguous.
The US and Iran have agreed to pause hostilities, ostensibly to facilitate the reopening of the strait. However, limited operational details have been disclosed, and ongoing attacks, including Israeli strikes in Lebanon, have cast doubts on the ceasefire’s stability and efficacy. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has shown little variation since the ceasefire announcement. On Wednesday, only four vessels were permitted passage, marking the lowest number recorded in April, as per S and P Global Market Intelligence data cited by the Wall Street Journal. This contrasts starkly with the pre-conflict norm, where over 100 ships traversed the strait daily without needing coordination with Iranian authorities.
Iran has issued radio warnings to vessels on Wednesday, reiterating that transits still necessitate permission from Tehran. Iranian media also conveyed that the nation has designated specific routes for vessels passing through Hormuz, directing both inbound and outbound traffic around Larak Island.