Hormuz Strait Crossings Slow After U.S. Imposes Blockade on Iranian Ports
Six vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday after the U.S. imposed a blockade on maritime traffic entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, down from seven on Monday and 12 on Sunday, according to shipping tracking data from Kpler.
Three vessels exited the Middle East Gulf region while the same number entered on Tuesday.
Traffic volume was down by more than half of the 14 vessels recorded on April 7, and 14% lower than the seven vessels a month ago on March 14.
As of April 14, Kpler data shows that 65 very large crude carriers, 15 Suezmax tankers, 21 Aframax vessels and 15 Panamax tankers — all loaded with crude oil, clean and dirty petroleum products, and condensate cargoes — remain in the Middle East Gulf region and have not yet exited.
The U.S. Central Command or Centcom began enforcing the blockade of all maritime traffic to and from Iranian ports at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday.
“During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and 6 merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman,” Centcom said on Tuesday.
Shipowners remain cautious about crossing the Strait of Hormuz, despite Centcom starting mine-clearing operations in the waterway on Saturday, analysts said.
“While the ceasefire may allow some transit, full maritime certainty is not yet assured. The safety of our seafarers, vessels and cargo remains Maersk’s top priority,” the Danish shipping company state in an update on Monday.
The six which crossed the Strait on Tuesday included three crude, chemical and oil product tankers:
* The 36,031-dwt Guyana-flagged chemical tanker Rich Starry (previously known as Full Star), which was loaded with 250,794 barrels of methanol on April 12 and exited the Middle East Gulf via the Hormuz Strait. The vessel is listed under U.S. sanctions.
* The 29,524-dwt Cook Islands-flagged oil tanker Murlikishan, which entered the Middle East Gulf through the Hormuz Strait. It is set to load 192,342 barrels of fuel oil at Khor Al Zubair port in Iraq.
* The 49,999-dwt Panama-flagged tanker Peace Gulf, which entered the Gulf via Hormuz to load 345,418 barrels of clean petroleum products from Hamriyah.
A total of 463 ships has crossed the Hormuz Strait since the Iran war began on Feb. 28.
–Reporting by Thomas Cho, tcho@opisnet.com; Editing by Mei-Hwen Wong, mwong@opisnet.com