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Ships abort Hormuz transit attempts
Ships abort Hormuz transit attempts
Singapore, 18 April (Argus) — At least 21 vessels that attempted to leave the Mideast Gulf following a brief reopening of the strait of Hormuz were forced to turn back, vessel tracking data show, after Tehran reimposed transit restrictions in response to the continued US naval blockade of Iranian ports. Tracking data indicate that at least 15 of the vessels were tankers across all size classes. Most of the ships had been trapped in the region since the US-Iran war began on 28 February. They appear to have moved after a short-lived opening was signalled on Friday, when Iranian foreign minister Seyed Araghchi announced that the strait would be open. US president Donald Trump said shortly afterwards that the waterway was completely open. But Iran has since reversed course , saying Hormuz would not remain open while the US naval blockade of Iranian ports remains in place and that transit had returned to strict military control. The rapid change in the status of Hormuz transits has raised questions about US president Donald Trump's comment on Friday that Washington was "very close" to a full deal with Tehran. By Sea Lui Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Product tankers exit Hormuz amid Iran U‑turn
Product tankers exit Hormuz amid Iran U‑turn
London, 18 April (Argus) — Three clean oil product tankers sailed out of the Mideast Gulf through the strait of Hormuz earlier on Saturday despite a rapid reversal in Iran's stance on shipping access, while two other vessels approached the strait but appeared to turn back. The movements highlight the lack of clarity facing shipowners and traders. Iran's foreign minister Seyed Araghchi said on Friday that the strait would be open during the current US-Iran ceasefire. US president Donald Trump said shortly afterwards that the waterway was completely open. But Iran's position has since shifted. Parliamentary speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf said the strait would not remain open while the US naval blockade on Iranian ports stayed in place. And later, Iranian military spokesperson Ebrahim Zolfaqari said that while Iran had initially agreed to the managed passage of a limited number of vessels, it has now returned the strait to strict military control. All three product tankers that exited the strait on 18 April are rated high sanctions-risk by marine consultancy Windward, though none appeared to be carrying Iranian products. It is not clear if they transited before or after the Iranian change of stance. Tracking data from Vortexa and Kpler show the largest vessel, the LR1 Navig8 Macallister , loaded 60,000t of naphtha at the UAE port of Ruwais in the first week of the war and remained in the Gulf for six weeks. The vessel is now signalling a voyage to east Asia. The MR tanker Akti A loaded 30,000t of gasoil from Bahrain's Sitra in the final week before the war began and waited in the Gulf for seven weeks. It is now signalling a voyage to east Africa. The MR Torin loaded 30,000t of naphtha from an unidentified Gulf port in the second week of April and waited for one week. The vessel transited Hormuz after receiving "special permission in co-ordination with Iranian authorities", a shipping broker said. Two other product tankers headed towards the strait on Saturday but did not complete a transit. The LR1 Khairpur appeared to turn back, according to Vortexa data. The firm estimates it is carrying 70,000t of gasoline from an unidentified Gulf port. The vessel had entered the Gulf empty a week ago, becoming the first low-sanctions-risk clean product tanker to do so since early March. The LR2 Sea Condor made a similar approach, carrying 90,000t of Kuwaiti naphtha loaded in the same week the war began, before also turning back. A further 18 clean products tankers have remained in the Gulf since before the war started , around seven weeks, with no sign of attempting an exit yet. Severely restricted traffic through the strait since the US-Iran conflict started at the end of February has tightened oil product supply. Only around 25,000 t/d of clean oil products have exited Hormuz so far in April, according to Vortexa data, compared with about 300,000 t/d across the full month last April. Clean product outright prices and premiums against crude have surged in Europe and Asia, setting multi-decade highs and delaying demand as buyers wait for firmer clarity on shipping access. By Rithika Krishna and Benedict George Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Iran closes Hormuz again in response to US blockade
Iran closes Hormuz again in response to US blockade
London, 18 April (Argus) — Tehran has reimposed restrictions over shipping passing through the strait of Hormuz in response to the continued US naval blockade of Iranian ports, Iran's military leadership announced on Saturday. "Following previous agreements reached in negotiations, the Islamic Republic of Iran, in good faith, agreed to the managed passage of a limited number of oil tankers and commercial vessels through the strait of Hormuz," Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Military Headquarters – the country's highest operational military command – said, according to Iran's Fars news agency, which is affiliated with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. "But unfortunately, the Americans, with their history of repeated breaches of promise, continue to engage in banditry and maritime piracy under the guise of a so-called blockade. For this reason, the strategic strait of Hormuz is under the strict management and control of Iran's Armed Forces." Zolfaqari added that "as long as the US does not agree to the complete freedom of navigation for vessels from their origin in Iran to their destination and from the destination back to their origin in Iran, the situation in the strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled and in its previous state." Tehran had announced on Friday that it was reopening the strait to shipping, until the 22 April expiry of its ceasefire deal with the US, in response to the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Lebanon. But the speaker of the Iranian parliament had warned later Friday that Tehran would reimpose the previous restrictions on passage if the US continued with the naval blockade of Iranian ports it began on 13 April. Some tankers have been able to move through the strait during the brief period of reopening – two crude tankers, a VLCC and an Aframax, were able to transit earlier Saturday, according to data from trade analytics platform Vortexa, after two products tankers carrying naphtha were able to pass through the strait overnight, according to data from Vortexa and Kpler. By Jim Washer Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.
Shipowners wary after Hormuz reopening pledge: Update
Shipowners wary after Hormuz reopening pledge: Update
Adds Bimco comment in final paragraph London, 17 April (Argus) — Iran's announcement that the strait of Hormuz is open to commercial vessels is unlikely to trigger an immediate pickup in tanker traffic through the waterway, as shipowners remain wary of security risks and the terms of passage remain unclear, market sources told Argus . Iran said on Friday that the strait would be open for commercial shipping for the duration of the US-Iran ceasefire, following a halt to fighting in Lebanon. But the limited timeframe and lack of detail are likely to deter shipowners from resuming transits straightaway, participants said. Owners would probably still have to "co-ordinate with Iran and adhere to their rules, unless of course the conditions are specified and more clarity appears, in which case more ships would consider the transit", one market participant said. Questions also remain around routing and tolls. Iran said passage would be permitted on the "co-ordinated route as already announced", which is likely to refer to the channel between the islands of Qeshm and Larak. This could imply that Iran will continue charging transit tolls. Transits through the strait have continued despite the US naval blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, which President Donald Trump has said will remain in place until peace talks with Iran are concluded. But the blockade is focused on the mouth of the Gulf of Oman rather than the strait itself, raising concerns that vessels exiting the waterway could still be intercepted further downstream, participants said. At least 10 vessels crossed the strait of Hormuz with their AIS transponders active in the past 24 hours, most of them westbound into the Mideast Gulf. Of those crossings, three were eastbound. These included the Shalamar , a Pakistani-flagged Aframax tanker that loaded at Das Island on 12 April and is heading to Karachi, according to Kpler data. The announcement about reopening the strait may be aimed primarily at allowing vessels already in the Gulf to exit, easing vessel availability constraints, rather than encouraging ships to enter for new business, according to one market participant. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is assessing Iran's announcement for compliance with freedom of navigation and use of the IMO-recognised traffic separation scheme. Shipping association Bimco, meanwhile, said the announcement does little to change the risk outlook for vessels. Trump's claim that the strait is "fully open" is inaccurate, as the status of mine threats within the traffic separation scheme remains unclear, Jakob Larsen, Bimco's chief safety and security officer, said. The scheme has not been declared safe for transit, and shipping companies should "consider avoiding the area", he added. By Rhys van Dinther Send comments and request more information at feedback@argusmedia.com Copyright © 2026. Argus Media group . All rights reserved.