Three supertankers laden with oil have successfully navigated the Strait of Hormuz, marking a tentative opening of the critical waterway as oil tankers exit Strait of Hormuz amid fragile US-Iran ceasefire. The movement of these vessels comes during a precarious two-week truce intended to ease the global energy crunch triggered by a blockade of the narrow passage.
The strait, which serves as a primary chokepoint for approximately 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments, has been largely obstructed since the onset of the US and Israel’s war on Iran in late February. The resulting disruption to energy supplies has sent global crude prices soaring, leaving international markets volatile and energy-dependent nations anxious for stability.
Shipping data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) confirms that the vessels utilized the “Hormuz Passage trial anchorage,” a specific routing designed to bypass Iran’s Larak Island. The three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) involved—the Liberia-flagged Serifos and the China-flagged Cospearl Lake and He Rong Hai—are each capable of transporting up to 2 million barrels of oil.
Logistics of the Breakout: Vessels and Destinations
The movement of these tankers reflects a complex web of international charters and diplomatic clearances. The Serifos, chartered by the Thai state-owned energy firm PTT, is reportedly one of seven vessels for which Malaysia sought specific transit clearance from Iran. Carrying crude loaded from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in early March, the Serifos is expected to reach Malaysia’s Malacca Port on April 21.
Simultaneously, Chinese energy interests are utilizing the window. Both the Cospearl Lake and He Rong Hai are chartered by Unipec, the trading arm of the Chinese energy giant Sinopec. The Cospearl Lake, carrying Iraqi oil, is slated to arrive at the Zhoushan port in eastern China by May 1. The final discharge destination for the Saudi crude aboard the He Rong Hai remains unconfirmed.
This follows a similar transit last week by the Ocean Thunder, which carried Iraqi crude under charter by a unit of Petronas, the Malaysian state energy firm.
| Vessel Name | Flag/Charterer | Cargo Origin | Expected Destination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Serifos | Liberia / PTT (Thai) | Saudi Arabia & UAE | Malacca Port, Malaysia |
| Cospearl Lake | China / Unipec (Sinopec) | Iraq | Zhoushan Port, China |
| He Rong Hai | China / Unipec (Sinopec) | Saudi Arabia | Unconfirmed |
| Ocean Thunder | Petronas (Malaysia) | Iraq | Confirmed Transit |
A Bottleneck Under Pressure
Despite these successful exits, the scale of the disruption remains immense. Hundreds of tankers remain trapped within the Gulf, waiting for the opportunity to depart during the current two-week ceasefire. For these crews and companies, the “fragile truce” is a race against time to move millions of barrels of oil before any potential resumption of hostilities.
While some ships are exiting, others are attempting to enter the Gulf to maintain the flow of supply. LSEG data shows three empty tankers—the Mombasa B, Agios Fanourios I, and Shalamar—sailing through the strait on Sunday. The Malta-flagged Agios Fanourios I has signaled its intent to load Basrah crude from Iraq destined for Vietnam.
The strategic importance of this movement cannot be overstated. The blockade has not only impacted price points but has fundamentally altered shipping routes and insurance premiums for the region. The reliance on “trial anchorages” and specific clearances from Tehran highlights the degree of control Iran currently exerts over the waterway, even during a ceasefire.
Stakeholders and Silence
The diplomatic effort to secure these transits involves a delicate coordination between state energy firms and foreign ministries. However, many of the entities involved have remained tight-lipped. Requests for comment sent outside of office hours to Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, PTT, Petronas, and Sinopec have yet to receive responses.
Similarly, the managers of the incoming empty vessels—Eastern Mediterranean Maritime (Agios Fanourios I), Cmb.Tech NV (Mombasa B), and Pakistan National Shipping (Shalamar)—have not immediately responded to inquiries regarding their operational status or the risks associated with entering the Gulf at this time.
What This Means for Global Energy Markets
The exit of these supertankers provides a marginal amount of relief to the global energy crunch, but it does not resolve the underlying volatility. The market remains hypersensitive to the status of the US-Iran ceasefire. Should the truce fail, the hundreds of vessels still idling in the Gulf would effectively become floating warehouses, further tightening the global supply of crude and potentially triggering another spike in prices.
Industry analysts monitor these movements as a litmus test for the ceasefire’s viability. The fact that Iran is granting clearance for specific vessels—particularly those bound for China and Malaysia—suggests a calculated approach to managing the blockade, using energy transit as a lever in broader geopolitical negotiations.
The immediate focus for the shipping industry is now the remaining window of the ceasefire. The primary objective for the trapped fleet is to clear the “Hormuz Passage” before the two-week period expires, avoiding a scenario where ships are caught in a renewed conflict zone.
The next critical checkpoint will be the expiration of the current two-week ceasefire period, at which point the international community will look for signals from Washington and Tehran regarding an extension or a return to the blockade. We will continue to track the movement of the remaining trapped tankers as new shipping data becomes available.
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