PARIS(RAHNUMA): Three Iranian oil tankers carrying five million barrels of crude have become the first such loaded vessels to leave the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz since a US blockade came into force, tracking firm Kpler told AFP on Friday.
The Deep Sea, Sonia I and Diona, all under US sanctions, traversed the strategic strait on Wednesday after leaving Iran’s Kharg Island, having loaded on April 2, 8 and 9 respectively, according to the maritime data company.
Pakistani-flagged tanker exits Gulf via Hormuz with UAE crude
Pakistani-flagged tanker Shalamar has exited the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz carrying crude loaded from the United Arab Emirates, shipping data from Kpler and LSEG showed.
The Aframax tanker exited the waterway on Thursday laden with about 440,000 barrels of Abu Dhabi’s Das Blend crude loaded earlier this week, Kpler data showed. The vessel is heading to the port of Karachi to discharge its cargo on April 19, according to the data.
The Shalamar was one of two Pakistani tankers that entered the strait on Sunday to load crude and oil products. Pakistan’s petroleum minister said on Wednesday that the Shalamar loaded crude from the UAE at an ADNOC terminal.
Pakistan National Shipping, which manages the Shalamar, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Traffic in the strait slowed this week due to the US blockade.
The US Navy said in an advisory on Thursday that the blockade has been widened to include cargoes deemed contraband and any vessels suspected of trying to reach Iranian territory will be “subject to belligerent right to visit and search.”
US Central Command said on X that 14 vessels have turned around to comply with the blockade at the direction of American forces after 72 hours of enforcement.
