Oil tanker transits the Strait of Hormuz again; Iran says the waterway is closed only to "enemies".

According to Mars Finance, on March 16th, ship tracking data showed that an Aframax oil tanker named "Karachi" successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz and is currently en route to Pakistan. This is one of the few oil tankers to successfully leave the Persian Gulf since the US-Israel attacks on Iran. Data shows that the tanker, controlled by the Pakistan National Shipping Corporation, completed its passage through the channel near the Iranian coast last Sunday and is currently located in waters near Sohar. Recently, ships passing through the strait have generally chosen to sail close to the Iranian side to reduce risk. Due to the escalation of regional conflict, shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which carries approximately 20% of the world's crude oil, was nearly halted, and countries are closely monitoring whether any ships have resumed passage. Meanwhile, some countries have negotiated passage arrangements with Tehran; for example, India has received permission for two LPG tankers to pass through the strait. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that the Strait of Hormuz is not completely closed, but "only closed to ships of hostile countries." Iran's new leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, stated that Tehran will retain the strategic leverage of "closing the Straits." With the Middle East conflict entering its third week, the risks to shipping across the Straits continue to rise. Trump has called on several countries to send warships to escort merchant ships to restore shipping lanes, but allies such as Japan have not yet indicated their participation. Industry insiders believe that even if the situation eases, a full recovery of shipping across the Straits could take several weeks.