WANA (May 14) – According to ship-tracking data, nine large vessels carrying oil and gas cargoes have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Sunday, May 10, after obtaining authorization from Iranian authorities.

 

Tracking data shows that two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) carriers bound for India managed to transit the Strait of Hormuz despite ongoing restrictions involving the United States and Iran.

 

According to a report by Bloomberg, the LPG tanker Symi was spotted in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday after switching off its tracking transponder. Another tanker, NV Sunshine, also turned off its identification system immediately after crossing the strait.

 

With the addition of these two vessels, the number of large ships transporting oil, fuel, and gas through the Strait of Hormuz since Sunday has risen to nine.

 

The tanker NV Sunshine loaded its LPG cargo at the Al Ruwais refinery in the United Arab Emirates. Its last recorded position early Thursday morning was east of Iran’s Larak Island, indicating it was heading toward the port of Mangalore in India.

 

The Symi tanker is also transporting fuel from Ras Laffan in Qatar to the port of Kandla in western India.

 

Araghchi: We Have Created No Obstruction in the Strait of Hormuz

WANA (May 14) – Iran’s Foreign Minister said: “We have created no obstruction in the Strait of Hormuz. It is the United States that has imposed a blockade.”   Seyed Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said in an interview on the sidelines of the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting that […]

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U.S. Stops a Supertanker

In a separate development, the supertanker Agios Fanourios I, carrying Iraqi crude oil to Vietnam, is currently anchored in the Gulf of Oman. After successfully passing through the Strait of Hormuz, the vessel was reportedly forced to turn back by the U.S. Navy.

 

According to Reuters, Vietnam’s state oil company PVOIL warned the U.S. Navy in a letter that feedstock reserves at the Nghi Son refinery had fallen sharply. The company cautioned that any further delay could halt refinery operations, potentially affecting millions of Vietnamese consumers and businesses.

 

Some of the nine vessels that crossed the Strait of Hormuz are reportedly still within what has been described as a U.S.-controlled maritime cordon. This zone stretches from Ras al Hadd in Oman to the Iran–Pakistan border and is monitored by American forces.

 

The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has stated that it has so far redirected 65 commercial vessels and stopped four others from continuing their voyages.

 

Iranian officials had previously announced that Iraqi cargoes would be exempt from restrictions imposed after the recent conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran.

 

The Islamic Republic of Iran has consistently emphasized its sovereignty and full control over the Strait of Hormuz. Although the strait is considered an international waterway governed by international maritime law, Iran has long played a decisive role in securing and managing traffic through this strategic passage due to its geographical position.

 

Iran has repeatedly warned that it will respond to any threat or hostile action in the region.

 

Following the outbreak of the recent conflict, Iran — maintaining close oversight of maritime traffic — designated specific routes for oil tankers transiting the strait. The tanker Agios Fanourios I, carrying Iraqi crude oil, had passed through the strait on Sunday, May 10, via one of these Iran-designated routes before later being intercepted by the U.S. Navy.

 

These developments come as roughly 20 percent of the world’s energy supply normally passes through this strategic waterway, meaning that any disruption could have major consequences for global energy markets.