Three tankers reportedly entered the Strait of Homuz on Thursday by hugging the coast of Oman and taking a route other than the northern one through Iranian waters amid the ongoing war in the region.
According to a Bloomberg report, two oil supertankers and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel — all shipping Omani property — headed east through the strait and sailed close to Oman’s coast on Thursday.
All three ships are managed by the Oman Ship Management Company, Bloomberg reported, citing maritime database Equasis, although the company has yet to comment on the transit.
The development came as the IRNA news agency, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibababdi, reported that Iran and Oman were jointly preparing a protocol to monitor maritime traffic in the strait, where Iran also intends to set up a toll system that demands up to $2 million per trip. Oman’s position on the traffic monitoring protocol report was unclear.
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Which way did the ships go?
A trio of vessels heading into the Strait of Hormuz from the Persian Gulf stopped sending automatic position signals at 9:30 a.m. UK time as they rounded the tip of Oman’s Mussandam Peninsula, which juts north into the key waterway, Bloomberg reported. The two supertankers carrying oil were carrying about 2 million barrels of oil, while the LNG tanker appeared to be empty, she added.
While it is unclear whether the trio completed the journey, it was notable that the route followed by the three ships lay south of the designated sea routes through the Strait of Hormuz and well south of the shipping route between the Iranian islands of Larak and Qeshm, which had been taken by ships leaving the gulf in recent days.
The route between Larak and Qeshm islands has also been linked to Iran’s aspirations to charge a transit fee, although it is not suitable for the largest tankers due to its shallow depth and tight bends.
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The UN Security Council vote on Hormuz was postponed
The Strait of Hormuz, whose effective closure has upended global energy markets and sent oil prices well above $100 a barrel, remains a major point of contention in the ongoing war, as well as in reported negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
With disruptions to global energy trade, the 15-member UN Security Council was due to vote Friday morning on a resolution to use “defensive” forces to protect traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. However, that vote has now been postponed, with no new date announced.
Meanwhile, Iran has warned that any action against it over the strait would only “complicate” the already delicate international situation.
“Any provocative action by the aggressors and their supporters, including the UN Security Council regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, will only complicate the situation,” warned Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi ahead of the planned UN vote.
Donald Trump, meanwhile, warned on Thursday of further escalation – “Our military, the largest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the world, has not even begun to destroy what is left of Iran. Next bridges, then power plants! The leadership of the new regime knows what needs to be done, and it must be done, FAST! (sic),” wrote the US president, who has repeatedly called for the reopening of the war on the Mountain since the outbreak of the Straits. February 28.
