Following the agreement between the U.S. and Iran, attention turned to the Strait of Hormuz, where yesterday the passage of 25 commercial ships reached the highest level since the beginning of this month, and at least 8 million barrels of crude oil were transported through the strait.
Attention Turns to Hormuz After U.S.-Iran Agreement
The 14-point agreement prepared as a result of negotiations mediated by Pakistan between the U.S. and Iran, known publicly as the 'Islamabad Agreement', was signed digitally by the leaders of the two countries and entered into effect.
The agreement includes provisions for ending the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and lifting the U.S. maritime blockade against Iran. Following the agreement, a noticeable increase in ship traffic occurred in the Strait of Hormuz, which global energy markets closely monitor.
Over 8 Million Barrels of Oil Transported in One Day
According to data from analytics company Kpler and MarineTraffic, yesterday a total of 25 commercial ships passed through the strait carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, petroleum products, fertilizer, dry bulk, and containers. Nine of these ships were determined to be loaded, while four supertankers transported a total of at least 8 million barrels of crude oil.
A significant portion of the transported oil consisted of shipments originating from Saudi Arabia. Most of approximately 6.2 million barrels of Saudi crude oil found on three supertankers was identified as being sent to Japan and South Korea. The supertanker Tenzan, loaded with approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil from the United Arab Emirates, is also heading towards Japan.
Qatar LNG Being Transported to Pakistan
Among the ships passing through the strait, energy shipments also drew attention. The LNG tanker Mraikh, flagged under France, is transporting 169 thousand cubic meters of liquefied natural gas loaded from Qatar's Ras Laffan facilities to Pakistan. The tanker Tong Lin Wan, flagged under Hong Kong, carries approximately 592 thousand barrels of clean petroleum products loaded from the United Arab Emirates.
The tanker's route is reported to be Singapore. On the other hand, two dry bulk ships passing through the strait were recorded as carrying fertilizer to India and China.
Ship Traffic Gradually Recovering
According to MarineTraffic data, the number of commercial ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz has followed a fluctuating trend in recent days.
On June 14, 12 ships passed; on June 15, 10 ships; on June 16, 14 ships; and on June 17, 7 commercial ships passed, while yesterday's recorded traffic of 25 ships was the highest level in recent weeks.
'Iran Route' Prominent
Following the start of the U.S./Israel–Iran war, it is stated that a significant portion of commercial ships passing through the strait operate under fleets on sanction lists or referred to as 'shadow fleets'.
Additionally, it is expressed that a significant part of the transits through the strait are carried out via the route known in the maritime industry as the 'Iran route', which uses Iranian territorial waters. Experts assess that if the effect of the agreement on the ground becomes permanent, energy and trade flow through the Strait of Hormuz could accelerate further in the coming days.
