Three Giant Tankers Flying Chinese and Liberian Flags Cross the Strait of Hormuz

JAKARTA - Three giant tankers (supertankers) were reported to have crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday (11/2/2026), according to shipping data.

This movement serves as an initial indication that ships are resuming exit from the Gulf area since the ceasefire agreement was reached between the United States and Iran.

Tehran’s blockade of the strait, a strategic route for around 20 percent of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, since the conflict erupted in late February 2026, has disrupted worldwide energy supplies and driven a surge in oil prices.

Each vessel has a carrying capacity of up to 2 million barrels of oil.

The Serifos, which has been transporting crude oil from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates since early March, is estimated to arrive at the Port of Malaka, Malaysia, on 21 April, based on data from LSEG and the analytics firm Kpler.

Meanwhile, the Cospearl Lake is carrying oil from Iraq, while the He Rong Hai is transporting crude oil from Saudi Arabia.

The two China-flagged vessels are known to have been chartered by Unipec, a trading unit of China’s energy giant Sinopec.

US President Donald Trump previously expressed his disappointment with Iran for still restricting most ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

In a statement on Tuesday evening, Trump said the US is willing to agree to a two-week halt in hostilities, on the condition that Iran fully and immediately reopens the Strait of Hormuz.

In a post on Truth Social on Thursday evening, Trump also highlighted reports that Iran is charging fees to tankers passing through.

“There are reports that Iran is collecting fees from tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz; that must not happen, and if true, it must be stopped immediately,” he wrote.

In a follow-up post, Trump assessed that Iran is not fulfilling the agreement properly. “Iran is doing a very poor job, even dishonourable, in allowing oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the deal we made,” he emphasised.