Oil Tankers Turn Around Near Hormuz

Is the Strait "under lock and key" again?

Uncertainty around the Strait of Hormuz is forcing shipowners to change their plans: even after Tehran's statements about opening up, vessels are in no hurry to enter this corridor.

This is reported by Bloomberg.

Numerous oil tankers have turned around in the Persian Gulf after trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Ship owners and traders are trying to find out whether Iran really guarantees safe passage through this strategic route.

The ships in question are at least six vessels, particularly Greek and Indian tankers, that were traveling towards Hormuz from areas near Dubai. All of them were loaded with oil, but on Saturday morning, April 18, began to change course.

Part of the vessels are now near the Iranian island of Qeshm, while others have effectively stopped. One of the tankers has stopped signaling its location altogether.

These ships are carrying a total of about 8.3 million barrels of oil. Their transit could be the largest volume of supplies through the strait in a single day since the start of the war in the region.

Despite Iran's claims of opening the Strait of Hormuz, the situation remains contradictory. In particular, Iranian sources admit the possibility of re-closing the passage if the U.S. blockade continues.

According to industry sources, ship owners have received radio warnings about the need to coordinate the passage with the Iranian military.

At the same time, other vessels are also recorded moving in the region. Some tankers with liquefied gas and oil products have also changed course and returned to the Gulf of Oman.

The situation around shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has escalated amid contradictory signals from the parties to the conflict. After reports of a possible truce, Iran announced the opening of the strait for commercial vessels for the period of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

This statement immediately affected the markets - oil prices fell sharply, and the Brent brand lost more than 10% of its value.

Adding to the uncertainty is the stance of US President Donald Trump, who said the naval blockade of ships traveling to Iranian ports will remain in place until a broader long-term deal is reached. This means that despite the formal opening of the strait, risks to shipping remain high.

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