Iran Allows Two Tankers Held for Three Months to Transit Strait of Hormuz

Iran has allowed an LNG tanker and an oil tanker that had been waiting for three months in the Strait of Hormuz to pass through, restoring movement through one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints. The route is critical for oil and natural gas shipments from Gulf states to global markets, and recent tensions have disrupted exports of both crude and LNG from the region. On 4 May, the Iranian army published a map identifying the control area in the strait and the route ships must use. The move cleared the way for the Japan-owned LNG tanker Fujrat, which is carrying Qatar-origin natural gas to Pakistan, and the oil tanker Eagle Verona, chartered by Chinese company Sinopec, which is transporting Iraqi oil to Ningbo Port in China. The Strait of Hormuz remains a strategic transit point for energy supplies leaving the Gulf. The delays had underscored the vulnerability of regional export flows as security tensions mounted in the area.