4 Million Barrels of Iranian Crude Pass Through the Strait of Hormuz Despite U.S. Blockade

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[The Financial News] About 4 million barrels of Iranian crude passed through the Strait of Hormuz over the course of the 24th, while six tankers carrying roughly 10 million barrels were blocked in recent days and forced to turn back.
According to TankerTrackers.com, a satellite analysis site, two tankers bound for Asia passed through the strait on the 27th local time carrying about 4 million barrels of Iranian crude. Over the same period, six tankers failed to leave the strait and returned to Iranian ports, with a combined cargo of 10.5 million barrels. Four other Iranian tankers, which had returned empty from Asia, were last spotted near the coast of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Iran began controlling traffic through the Strait of Hormuz on February 28, shortly after the outbreak of war, and the United States responded with a maritime blockade on the 13th. Since then, the situation has remained fluid, with the strait briefly opening on the 17th and 18th before being restricted again. The vital shipping lane, which used to see an average of 125 to 140 vessels a day before the war, has effectively shifted to a selective passage system.
CENTCOM said 37 vessels were diverted to other routes after the blockade began. Although U.S. forces ordered some ships to turn back in the Gulf of Oman, other vessels appear to have been allowed through.
According to ship-tracking data provider Kpler and satellite analytics firm Not_found, at least seven vessels, mostly bulk carriers, passed through the strait that day, and none of them were tankers. Some had departed from Iraqi ports, while one had sailed from an Iranian port.
However, it remains unclear whether those vessels will reach their final destinations. As the U.S. military has been intercepting Iran-linked ships even at long distances, including near the Strait of Malacca, there is also concern that they could be detected en route and forced to turn back.
There were also signs that an LNG carrier from Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) passed through the Strait of Hormuz with cargo on board. If confirmed, it would be the first such case since the war began.
According to ICIS LNG Edge and MarineTraffic, the vessel was first detected in the Persian Gulf on the 30th of last month, then disappeared from tracking for a time before reappearing recently in waters west of the Republic of India. It has also been reported that ships in the Gulf region are using tactics such as switching off signals or transmitting false information to avoid location tracking.
km@fnnews.com Kim Kyung-min Reporter