Tankers in the Persian Gulf have started moving away from the Strait of Hormuz in anticipation of a U.S. naval blockade announced by President Donald Trump on Sunday.
Citing data from Kpler and LSEG, Reuters reported today that two Pakistan-flagged vessels had entered the Persian Gulf and were en route to the UAE and Kuwait to load crude and fuels. One Liberia-flagged very large crude carrier was ballasting in the Persian Gulf, the publication also reported, while a Malta-flagged VLCC that had tried to pass the Strait of Hormuz to load crude from Iraq had turned around and anchored off Oman’s coast.
Reuters added, however, that three loaded tankers had successfully traversed the chokepoint on Saturday—the first to do so since the ceasefire deal brokered by Pakistan last week. The report did not include ownership information about the vessels.
President Trump on Sunday said the U.S. Navy would “begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz.” The blockade is set to start at 10 am Eastern Time and will not, in point of fact, target any and all ships, but only those heading for or setting off from Iranian ports.
The blockade will be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” the U.S. Central Command said in an X post. “CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports,” the authority added.
Oil prices surged on the news of this new tanker traffic obstacle in the Persian Gulf, with Brent crude trading at $102.14 per barrel at the time of writing, and West Texas Intermediate changing hands at $104.76 per barrel.
By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com
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