Hormuz traffic resumes
Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has begun to resume, but shipping flows and oil-market stress remain elevated. Chinese oil tankers and at least three supertankers made transits as U.S. naval ships also crossed to help set conditions for mine‑clearing, yet analysts warn shortages and higher prices could persist for months after the disruption that affected roughly 20% of global oil and LNG shipments ( ).
Oil tankers are moving through the Strait of Hormuz again, but the waterway is still operating under war-era conditions. (aljazeera.com) Shipping data on Saturday, April 11, showed three fully laden supertankers passing through the strait, including two Chinese very large crude carriers and a Greek vessel. Bloomberg reported the Chinese ships were loaded with crude, and Reuters-tracked data identified the Chinese pair as Cospearl Lake and He Rong Hai, both chartered by Unipec, the trading arm of China Petroleum and Chemical Corporation. (bloomberg.com, reuters.com) The United States said two Navy warships crossed the strait on Saturday to begin setting conditions for mine-clearing, while Iran denied that American vessels had entered and said passage remains under Iranian control. The public dispute unfolded as United States and Iranian officials met in Islamabad to try to extend a ceasefire announced on April 7. (gulfnews.com, thehindu.com, maritimenews.com) The strait is a narrow sea lane between Iran and Oman that carries about 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments. When traffic slowed after the fighting that began in late February, global energy supplies tightened and oil prices jumped. (aljazeera.com, cnbc.com) The immediate problem is not only whether ships can pass, but whether owners, insurers and crews believe the route is safe enough to use at scale. CNBC reported that analysts expect the disruption to last weeks or months even after a ceasefire, drawing comparisons to the slow recovery in Red Sea shipping after Houthi attacks. (cnbc.com) Ship tracking also showed how tentative the recovery remains. On Sunday, April 12, two empty supertankers approaching the strait from the Gulf of Oman made a last-minute U-turn after talks between Washington and Tehran appeared to break down. (bloomberg.com, theedgesingapore.com) Some vessels are also trying different routes. Earlier tracking cited by Bloomberg showed Omani-managed tankers and a liquefied natural gas carrier hugging Oman’s coastline instead of taking the more northerly path near Iran’s Larak Island. (ndtv.com, bloomberg.com) China has been central to the first resumed cargo movements because its refiners buy large volumes of Iranian crude. The first named tankers to test the route after the ceasefire were both chartered by Unipec, underscoring how closely traders are watching whether Asian buyers can reliably lift cargoes again. (reuters.com, straitstimes.com) For now, the traffic restart looks more like a probe than a return to normal. A few successful crossings have reopened the lane, but the next test is whether enough ships keep moving to bring oil flows, freight rates and insurance costs back toward pre-crisis levels. (aljazeera.com, cnbc.com)
