Japan has secured the passage of one of its vessels through the strait of Hormuz following talks between Tokyo and Tehran, Japanese prime minister Takaichi Sanae said today.
The vessel, which had been stuck in the Mideast Gulf for almost two months, exited the strait on 29 April and is now heading towards Japan, Takaichi said.
Takaichi did not name the vessel, but the details match the very large crude carrier (VLCC) Idemitsu Maru, which ship tracking data show passed through the strait of Hormuz on 28-29 April after having been largely stationary since early March. The tanker is owned by Japanese refiner Idemitsu.
The VLCC is carrying around 2mn bl of Arab Light crude, which it loaded at Saudi Arabia's Juaymah terminal on 3 March. It is due to arrive at Nagoya in Japan on 17 May, according to Vortexa.
This appears to be one of the first Japanese tankers to have successfully exited through the strait of Hormuz since the start of the US-Iran war in late February.
Japan has made repeated representations to Iran about the need to restore free and safe transit through the strait of Hormuz for Japanese and other vessels, Takaichi said today. This included direct talks between Takachi and Iranian president Massoud Pezeshkian, she said.
Japan has an overwhelming reliance on the Mideast Gulf for its crude imports. Shipments from the region accounted for 94pc of its total imports last year. Tokyo has released supplies from its domestic stockpiles and turned to alternative sources, notably the US, to manage supply disruptions from the Middle East.
