Traffic Flows Through Hormuz Despite Shock Ship Attack

An attack on a container vessel sailing through the Strait of Hormuz has prompted some shipowners to review exit plans, but traffic continued to flow in both directions through the vital thoroughfare on Friday.

Two fully laden tankers are heading out of the Persian Gulf, while four empty, inbound, very large crude carriers are among the vessels sailing along the Omani coast, ship-tracking data show.

After the US-Iran peace deal, Western navies have recommended using the southern route that tracks Oman’s coast, but on Thursday a container ship called Ever Lovely was hit while using the corridor, the first attack since the interim peace agreement was signed.

At least one company based in Asia revised earlier plans to exit and told staff that vessels in the gulf should stay put as executives reassess transit options, according to a message seen by Bloomberg News. In addition, an empty liquefied natural gas carrier turned around while sailing along the Iranian route inside Hormuz.

Prior to Thursday’s attack, Iranian authorities had reiterated warnings that journeys taking place outside of the country’s designated transit route were not permitted. Some ships turned around after radio messages reportedly told them not to cross.

A day later, Iran’s foreign ministry said management of Hormuz would take place according to the agreement signed with the US, but the country’s deputy foreign minister said safe transit without its permission couldn’t be guaranteed. There was little indication of a major derailing of Hormuz transits.

In a clear sign that some shipowners remain comfortable transiting, an oil tanker owned by a company that hadn’t crossed Hormuz since the war began exited the gulf in the hours after the attack.

UK Maritime Trade Operations said in an update that the US had facilitated 80 ship crossings through Hormuz over June 23 and 24. That compares with a pre-war average of 138 vessels a day. It cited data sources including the US Navy.

Some have continued to sail along the Iranian route — an option recognized by the International Maritime Organization — to the north in the strait. A South Korean-flagged products tanker and another one that’s bound for Indonesia, together with a bulk carrier, attempted to leave the Persian Gulf by sailing close to Iran.

The IMO on Thursday said it was canceling a co-ordinated plan to evacuate ships from Hormuz after the attack and canceled a press conference.

Outbound vessels along the Omani route include one India-bound Aframax, a small, US-sanctioned tanker and a fully laden VLCC that’s hauling barrels from the United Arab Emirates.

In the opposite direction, an empty VLCC indicating it’s headed to Iraq’s Basrah has entered along with three others linked to the UAE, while a liquefied natural gas carrier that’s currently off Khor Fakkan also appears to be making a transit attempt.

Hormuz and its management remain key points of contention between Tehran and Washington. This week, the US said Iran would have to keep the strait toll-free and ensure ships weren’t charged any fees if it wanted a permanent peace deal.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio visited Gulf Arab countries and said if Iran were to toll Hormuz, there would be nothing stopping governments doing the same with other maritime chokepoints. “And then we’re going to have chaos,” he said.

The US is leaning on Oman, which also borders the strait, not to create a joint tolling system with Iran. The sultanate has sent mixed messages. On Tuesday, it published a statement with Tehran saying the two would discuss administering traffic through the strait and the costs related to that. On Thursday, Rubio said Oman had assured him it didn’t favor tolls.

“They signed on to the statement that said that there aren’t going to be any fees or tolls,” Rubio said, referring to a joint statement between the US and the Gulf Cooperation Council that said the parties “rejected any tolls, fees, or attempts to assert control over the Strait.”