Two Tankers Successfully Transit Hormuz Strait, En Route to China and Pakistan

Several tankers carrying crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Middle East have successfully exited the Strait of Hormuz. The massive vessels are now en route to Pakistan and China after being stranded in the conflict zone for months.

Two LNG tankers were observed exiting the Strait of Hormuz on Monday (25 May 2026), heading for Pakistan and China. Meanwhile, the VLCC Eagle Verona, carrying Basrah crude oil from Iraq bound for China, departed the Gulf region on Saturday local time.

The Bahamian-flagged LNG tanker Fuwairit crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and is expected to discharge its cargo in Pakistan on Tuesday. The LNG vessel Al Rayyan has also exited the strait and is currently between Iran and Oman, en route to China on 27 June.

The successful passage of these vessels follows a sharp decline in Hormuz Strait traffic after the US-Israel conflict with Iran erupted on 28 February. The strategic waterway typically handles about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and LNG supplies.

Prior to the conflict, daily maritime traffic through the strait averaged 125 to 140 passages. Due to the armed conflict, approximately 20,000 sailors remain trapped on hundreds of vessels in the Gulf region unable to move freely.

The successfully departed vessels are part of a select few supertankers permitted to leave the Gulf this month via special transit routes ordered by Iranian authorities. Last week, three VLCCs successfully sailed to China and South Korea, transporting a total of 6 million barrels of crude oil.

The Singapore-flagged Eagle Verona has been carrying nearly 2 million barrels of Basrah crude since around 26 February. This vessel is one of seven for which the Malaysian government requested transit permission from Iran, with five now successfully departing.

As of this report, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) of Japan, the owner of Fuwairit, could not be reached for comment. QatarEnergy, owner of Al Rayyan, along with Sinopec and MISC, lessee and owner of Eagle Verona, have not yet provided official responses.