A super-large oil tanker (VLCC) heading to Iraq, which previously canceled efforts to pass through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf last weekend, is moving back onto this route.
If the journey is successful, this will be the first crude oil tanker to go west across the strait since the US imposed a blockade of Hormuz on April 13.
Ship tracking data shows that the Agios Fanourios I ship, which is not on the sanctions list and is not heading to Iran, has passed a narrow route according to the route approved by Tehran, between the two islands of Qeshm and Larak. The ship is currently signaling its destination is Basrah port, Iraq, to receive goods.
Previously, the first attempt by the ship Agios Fanourios I to return to the Persian Gulf was interrupted on April 12, after negotiations between the US and Iran collapsed. The ship turned around before approaching this strategic strait.
US Navy warships have been deployed to monitor traffic activities outside the Strait of Hormuz in the Gulf of Oman. This move forced some ships to turn back to the Persian Gulf.
In that context, Iran is also considering temporarily suspending oil exports in the short term to avoid facing blockades and disrupting negotiations.
Ship owners, energy traders and investors are closely monitoring trips through the Strait of Hormuz to assess how Tehran and Washington control traffic on one of the busiest shipping routes in the world.
On April 14, the US announced that 6 merchant ships had complied with the request of its forces, turned around and returned to the Iranian port on the first day of applying the blockade.
The volume of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been almost paralyzed since the US and Israel began attacking Iran at the end of February, increased slightly last weekend, with 3 super-large oil tankers successfully passing through, all full of cargo.
However, the breakdown of peace negotiations and blockade warnings have led ship owners to say they will avoid passing through the area until the rules are clarified.
Rich Starry - the ship under US sanctions - has turned around after the US announcement of the blockade of Hormuz. The ship Rich Starry, which is still moving in the opposite direction of the Strait of Hormuz, is sending a "waiting for instructions" signal, a sign that the ship has not yet determined its specific destination.
Tracking data shows that the ship is still full of cargo as when leaving the Persian Gulf.
Alicia - another VLCC ship that does not carry goods, also sanctioned by the US, is moving in the same area. Alicia was once put on the sanctions list last year under the old name Montrose due to involvement in Iran's oil trading activities. Currently, this ship is between the two islands of Larak and Qeshm of Iran. Previously, the Alicia ship had signaled to Basrah, Iraq but then switched to a "waiting for instructions" status.
