Istanbul (ANTARA) - Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz\ncontinued in both directions on Friday, despite an attack on a container\nvessel that prompted some shipowners to reconsider transit plans through\nthe key energy waterway.<\/p>\n
The attack on the Ever Lovely on Thursday, the first incident since a\ntemporary US-Iran peace deal was signed, led some owners and captains to\ndelay or review plans to exit the Gulf. At least one Asia-based company\nreportedly told staff that vessels in the Gulf should remain in place\nwhile executives reassessed transit options.<\/p>\n
However, ship tracking data showed the incident did not halt the\ngradual recovery of traffic through the strait. Two fully laden tankers\nwere seen heading out of the Gulf on Friday, while four empty very large\ncrude carriers (VLCCs) were among vessels sailing inbound along the\ncoast of Oman. The southern route is managed by Oman and coordinated by\nthe US.<\/p>\n
Outbound traffic along the Omani route included an Aframax tanker\nbound for India and a smaller US-sanctioned tanker. A VLCC loaded with\ncrude from the United Arab Emirates also entered the strait, along with\na product tanker carrying cargo from the same exporter. In the opposite\ndirection, an empty VLCC heading for Basrah, Iraq, entered the waterway,\ntogether with three other UAE-linked vessels. A liquefied natural gas\n(LNG) carrier off Khor Fakkan also appeared to be attempting to transit\nthe strait.<\/p>\n
Some vessels used the northern route near Iran, which is recognised\nby the International Maritime Organization (IMO), including a South\nKorean-flagged product tanker, another product tanker bound for\nIndonesia, and a bulk carrier.<\/p>\n
Management of Hormuz remains a point of friction between Washington\nand Tehran. The US says Iran must keep the strait toll-free and refrain\nfrom imposing charges on shipping if it wants to reach a permanent peace\ndeal. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during a visit to Arab Gulf\nstates, warned that any toll system could encourage other governments to\nlevy fees at maritime chokepoints, creating chaos. The US has also urged\nOman not to establish a joint toll mechanism with Iran. Oman and Iran\nhad previously said they would discuss traffic administration and\nrelated fees in the strait, though Rubio later stated that Muscat had\nassured Washington it did not support tolls.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, empty LNG tankers began queuing off the coast of Qatar as\nthe country prepared to ramp up exports from Ras Laffan, one of the\nworld\u2019s largest LNG production hubs. At least eight empty LNG carriers\nwere seen leaving the Ras Laffan facility, most having transited Hormuz\nover the past week. Another tanker was heading to the plant, while two\nmore were approaching the eastern entrance of the strait, according to\nship tracking data. The build-up suggests Qatar is preparing to increase\nLNG loadings as maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz gradually\nreturns to normal after months of disruption.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/strait-of-hormuz-traffic-flows-despite-vessel-attack-1782474880", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }