KARACHI: Since the peak of disruptions due to the war, “the Aframax tanker Karachi, carrying Abu Dhabi’s Das crude, has become the first non-Iranian cargo to transit the chokepoint while broadcasting its AIS signal, suggesting that select shipments may be receiving negotiated safe passage,” Marine Traffic said on X.
It said the 237-metre-long Pakistani-flagged oil tanker had a draft of 11.5 metres, indicating it was heavy and likely loaded.
It entered Iranian waters on Sunday and “is currently sailing in the Gulf of Oman at around 9.6 knots, having successfully passed through the strait with AIS active,” MarineTraffic said in a post on Monday at 1028 GMT.
“The transit follows weeks of significantly reduced traffic through the strategic waterway.”
Bloomberg data indicated it was last moored at the Emirati oil hub of Das Island.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic route for oil and gas exports from Gulf countries, with one-fifth of global oil production and of liquefied natural gas passing through it in normal times.
Tehran has targeted the waterway in retaliation for Israeli-US strikes, aiming to hurt the global economy to put pressure on Washington.
Maritime data firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence had recorded 77 ships passing through Hormuz as of Friday since the start of the war on February 28 — mostly vessels belonging to the so-called “shadow fleet”, outside traditional insurance and tracking systems.
Since March 1, 20 commercial vessels, including nine tankers, have been attacked or reported incidents in the region, according to UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).
