The largest shipowners in Asia have begun a cautious movement towards the blocked Strait of Hormuz, testing the strength of the recently announced US-Iran ceasefire agreement. Against the backdrop of contradictory statements from politicians, hundreds of tankers, trapped in the Persian Gulf since the end of February, have started to converge towards the narrow exit to the open ocean, reports Bloomberg.
According to tracking system data, late Thursday evening, two Japanese supertankers Mayasan and Yakumosan left the anchorage off the coast of Ras Tanura (Saudi Arabia), where they had been sheltering since mid-March, and headed east towards the Hormuz Strait. Each of these giant vessels carries about 2 million barrels of oil.
A tanker named Sea Condor, flying the Greek flag and loaded with fuel in Kuwait, has joined them.
Shipowners are worried not only about the threat of renewed hostilities but also about unprecedented transit conditions. Iran openly demands payment for the right to safe passage. For legitimate shipping companies, any payments to entities linked to the IRGC mean a direct violation of strict American sanctions.
The Japanese tankers heading to the strait on Friday are associated with Mitsui OSK Lines - one of the largest shipping corporations in the world and a key player in Japan's energy market.
In addition to the Japanese, a group of Chinese supertankers has accumulated at the entrance to the strait.