One-fourth of large oil tankers affected by the Iran conflict have successfully navigated out of the strait

Odaily Planet Daily reported that among the non-Iranian large oil tankers stranded in the Persian Gulf at the onset of the Iran conflict, approximately one-fourth have gradually broken free and successfully sailed out of the area through slow and covert methods.

According to shipping data compiled by Bloomberg, after the conflict erupted on February 28, effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz, a total of 109 large vessels (those with a carrying capacity of 700,000 barrels or more) were trapped. Now, 29 of them have successfully traversed this strategic chokepoint. Although these released cargoes represent only a tiny fraction of the crude oil and refined products still stranded in the Gulf, they have been quickly snapped up by the market, especially against the backdrop of global inventory buffers shrinking at a record pace. Furthermore, given that many vessels have turned off their location broadcasting equipment to avoid risks, the actual number of ships that have successfully escaped is likely higher than the statistics show. (Jin Shi)