Following the agreement between the US and Iran, attention turned to the Strait of Hormuz, where the passage of 25 commercial vessels yesterday reached the highest level since the beginning of this month, with at least 8 million barrels of crude oil transported through the strait yesterday.
Eyes on Hormuz After US-Iran Agreement
The 14-point agreement, prepared as a result of negotiations mediated by Pakistan between the US and Iran and referred to publicly as the 'Islamabad Agreement', was signed digitally by the leaders of the two countries and entered into force.
The agreement includes provisions such as ending the war, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and lifting the US naval blockade against Iran. Following the agreement, a significant increase in ship traffic occurred in the Strait of Hormuz, which is closely monitored by global energy markets.
Over 8 Million Barrels of Oil Transported in a Single Day
According to data from the analytics company Kpler and MarineTraffic, a total of 25 commercial vessels carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), crude oil, petroleum products, fertilizer, dry bulk, and containers passed through the strait yesterday. It was determined that 9 of these vessels were loaded, and 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. It was found that the majority of the approximately 6.2 million barrels of Saudi crude oil on three supertankers was 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.
Qatari LNG Being Transported to Pakistan
Among the vessels passing through the strait, energy shipments also drew attention. The French-flagged LNG tanker Mraikh is transporting 169 thousand cubic meters of liquefied natural gas from Qatar's Ras Laffan facility to Pakistan. The Hong Kong-flagged tanker Tong Lin Wan 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, it was recorded that two dry bulk carriers passing through the strait transported fertilizer to India and China.
Ship Traffic Gradually Recovering
According to MarineTraffic data, the number of commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz has followed a volatile trend in recent days.
While 12 commercial vessels passed on June 14, 10 on June 15, 14 on June 16, and 7 on June 17, the traffic recorded yesterday of 25 vessels was the highest level in recent weeks.
'Iran Route' Stands Out
It is stated that since the start of the US/Israel-Iran war, a significant portion of the commercial vessels passing through the strait have been operating under fleets that are on sanctions lists or referred to as 'shadow fleets'.
Furthermore, it is expressed that a significant portion of the transits through the strait are carried out via the route known in the maritime sector as the 'Iran route', which uses Iranian territorial waters. Experts assess that if the agreement's effect on the ground becomes permanent, energy and trade flows in the Strait of Hormuz could accelerate further in the coming days.
