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Tensions have risen in West Asia as Israel-Iran war continues. Six huge oil tankers took a U-turn from the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday.
Israel-Iran war: Two tankers take U-turn from Strait of Hormuz (Image: Marinetraffic)
The two oil tankers, each with a capacity of carrying around 2 million barrels of crude oil, passed through the Strait of Hormuz after initially performing a U-turn in the last 24 hours, following the US strikes in Iran.
According to tracking data from MarineTraffic, six large oil tankers turned around after entering the key shipping route in the past 24 hours.
Three of those ships — Coswisdom Lake, South Loyalty, and Damsgaard — later turned around again and moved through the Strait today.
On Sunday, two ships named Coswisdom Lake and South Loyalty entered the strait but changed their direction suddenly, Bloomberg reported, citing tracking data. After initially stopping for a while, both tankers turned back and moved through the strait following their decided route; signals from each of them showed on Monday.
The development comes after the US’s strikes on Iran triggered fears of a possible retaliation on US assets in the region, which could vastly affect the shipping of commercial goods through the region.
The movement of the two tankers into one of the most important oil regions of the world comes at a time when shipbrokers and others in the oil transport business are showing cautious interest in using the area due to fears of a possible military escalation.
On Sunday, Greece’s shipping ministry advised its shipowners to avoid sailing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Even though the two tankers aren’t Greek, the warning from Athens shows early concerns about sailing through the Strait of Hormuz — a key route that handles about 20% of the world’s oil. Greece has the largest oil tanker fleet in the world based on how much oil it can carry.
Coswisdom Lake is run by Cosco Shipping Energy, while South Loyalty is managed by Sinokor Merchant Marine, according to the report.
Signs of caution continue to persist among the world’s shipping firms. Two major Japanese shipping companies have said they will reduce their use of the Strait of Hormuz, which is a critical sea route that any ship has to take to enter the Persian Gulf.
On Sunday, the United States carried out one of its biggest airstrikes in decades, targeting Iran’s key nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. President Donald Trump announced the strikes and termed them a huge success.
After the attack, Iran is now reportedly considering closing the Strait of Hormuz, EuroNews reported.
Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes…Read More
Ashesh Mallick is a Sub-Editor with over three years of experience in news writing, video production. He primarily covers national news, politics and global affairs. You can follow him on Twitter: @MallickAshes… Read More
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