This gives hope that intergovernmental agreements will help restore transit, writes Bloomberg.
Before leaving the strait, all three vessels turned off their transponders. Later, two tankers were spotted off the coast of Oman, the status of the third is still unclear. The question remains open as to whether they will be able to get past the U.S. naval blockade. At the same time, the supertanker Universal Winner became the first VLCC-class vessel to sail to South Korea since the war began.
Shipments are still a small fraction of pre-war levels, but the countries are gradually negotiating transit. Iranian state television reported that South Korea has followed China’s lead and is coordinating the passage of ships with the IRGC.
Meanwhile, India is preparing to send ships through the Strait of Hormuz to ship Middle Eastern oil for the first time since the conflict began.
“Invisible” traffic
The U.S. blockade of Iranian shipping in the Gulf of Oman continues to disrupt trade, notes Investing.com. On Wednesday, the U.S. military said 90 commercial vessels have been diverted to comply with the restrictions.
Two-way traffic held steady at 4 ships on Tuesday, and by Wednesday morning, 3 more ships had crossed the strait, according to Bloomberg data. However, widespread interference in the AIS system distorted the picture, making it difficult to verify the traffic.
The U.S. naval presence is also distorting the observations, with Iran-linked vessels turning off AIS signals to avoid detection. The practice of “shadowing” has been used before: tankers often resume transmitting signals only in the Strait of Malacca, about 13 days from Iran’s Kharq Island.
