Oil Tankers U-turn in Hormuz Following Collapse of US-Iran Negotiations

(SeaPRwire) –   Two empty crude carriers tried to navigate the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf on Sunday but reversed course at the last moment, coinciding with the collapse of U.S.-Iran peace talks that endangered a shaky ceasefire.

According to ship-tracking data, two very large crude carriers and one Aframax tanker—none with direct ties to Iran—started approaching the strait from the Gulf of Oman late Saturday, reaching the vicinity of Iran’s Larak Island by early Sunday. At that de facto checkpoint, the Iraq-destined Agios Fanourios I and the Pakistan-flagged Shalamar, bound for Das Island in the UAE, turned around.

The lead VLCC, Mombasa B, proceeded and successfully passed between Larak and Qeshm islands, an entry route into the Persian Gulf sanctioned by Iran. Its current destination is unclear.

In a separate incident, the Pakistani oil products tanker Khairpur was moving through the Iranian-approved channel toward the Gulf after altering its direction twice on Sunday. The ship first turned back near Larak and Qeshm islands, then reversed course again to continue inward.

The precise causes for these reversals are unknown, as Iraq and Pakistan had previously secured Iranian clearance for the transit. However, the decisions coincided with negotiators in Islamabad declaring they had not been able to finalize an agreement.

As a critical global energy passage, the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively shut since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began six weeks ago, causing major supply disruptions. Reopening the strait was a key topic in the weekend talks but remains a point of contention.

Numerous vessels have tried and failed to cross the strait in recent weeks, highlighting the volatile security climate and ongoing high danger. Most attempts have been to depart the Persian Gulf, but empty tankers are also required inside to collect new shipments.

Two Chinese container ships turned back late last month before eventually getting out, and a liquefied natural gas carrier aborted its transit last week.

Had all three crude tankers completed their passage on Sunday, it would have extended a recent, modest increase in traffic through the waterway, which Iran controls and where Iran-affiliated ships have been predominant since late February. The previous day, two Chinese supertankers and a Greek ship left the gulf via Hormuz carrying crude oil.

The management of Agios Fanourios I is handled by Greece’s Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, and the Shalamar is owned by Pakistan National Shipping Corp. Neither company provided an immediate response to emails sent outside normal business hours.

The vessel Mombasa B was recently renamed from Front Forth. Its current owner is Haut Brion 8 SA, which lists the same address as its South Korean manager, Sinokor Maritime Co. Sinokor did not reply to a request for comment outside of office hours.