• Source:JND
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US-Iran War: After high-level negotiations between the United States and Iran ended without a breakthrough, President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf. He also ordered the US forces to "seek and interdict" any vessel which pays toll to Iran for Hormuz transit.

The blockade, reportedly implemented on April 13, adds a new layer of uncertainty to a strategic corridor already pushed to the brink. The narrow waterway has been all but shut since February 28, when the United States and Israel launched coordinated strikes against Iran.

While the blockade specifically targets Iranian commerce, several non-Iranian vessels, including those from India, Pakistan, and China, have navigated the passage since the conflict began. Here's a look at some of the non-Iranian vessels that have transited the Strait since February 28, listed by their cargo destination:

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INDIA

Indian energy security remains stable, with at least two VLCCs and two Suezmax tankers having exited the Gulf in March and April to offload crude at India.

According to Kpler data, VLCC Habrut transited the strait on April 2 and is scheduled to discharge Abu Dhabi crude for Indian Oil Corp at Paradip on April 15. This comes after VLCC Marathi, which discharged Saudi crude at the Sikka port for Reliance Industries on March 28.

The Liberia-flagged Smyrni Suezmax tanker exited the strait on March 12, discharging 1 million barrels of Saudi crude for Hindustan Petroleum Corp in Mumbai on March 16. Another Suezmax Shenlong exited the Strait on March 6, discharging the same amount of Saudi crude at Mumbai on March 11.

The Gabon-flagged Msg is currently bound for India's Pipavav port after transiting the strait on April 9, while the Navara discharged fuel oil at Sikka on April 8 after sailing through the waterway on March 31.

The Indian government, in late March, said that two LPG tankers, carrying approximately 94,000 metric tons, had safely transited the strait and are heading towards India.

The BW Tyr discharged at Mumbai and Pipavav between April 5 and April 7, while the BW Elm discharged at the three Indian ports between April 6 and April 15.

An India-flagged LPG carrier, Jag Vikram, carrying 20,400 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), arrived at Kandla, Gujarat, on April 14 after transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

It is the first such transit by an Indian vessel since the recent ceasefire between the United States and Iran. These movements come after four Indian-flagged LPG vessels, Shivalik, Nanda Devi, Pine Gas, and Jag Vasant, transited the strait.

CHINA

Two Chinese-flagged VLCCs, Cospearl Lake and He Rong Hai, exited the Strait of Hormuz on April 11. Both vessels are chartered by Unipec, the trading arm of state energy giant Sinopec. The Cospearl Lake, laden with Iraqi crude, is scheduled to arrive at China's Zhoushan port on May 1, while the He Rong Hai is heading to Myanmar to discharge its cargo of Saudi crude.

According to Kpler data, VLCC Dhalkut, which transited the strait on April 2, is expected to discharge Saudi crude in Myanmar by April 22.

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PAKISTAN

Two Pakistani-flagged tankers entered the Gulf on April 12. According to vessel tracking data, Aframax tanker Shalamar headed to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Monday to load Das crude, while the Panamax-sized Khairpur is currently en route to Kuwait to load refined products.

Earlier, Aframax tanker P. Aliki transited the strait on March 28, discharging Saudi crude at Karachi on March 31.

(With Inputs From Reuters)

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