Second case! A Japanese oil tanker successfully "snuck" through the Strait of Hormuz

``` Turn off the positioning signal and quietly pass through—this is what a Japanese oil tanker has just done. According to media reports on May 14, a Japanese Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) crossed the Strait of Hormuz with its position broadcast turned off and appeared in the waters of the Gulf of Oman. This is the second Japanese VLCC to complete this journey since the outbreak of the Middle East war. Ship tracking data shows that the VLCC named "Eneos Endeavor" started transmitting its position signal again late Wednesday night local time, north of Muscat, the capital of Oman, heading east towards the Arabian Sea. Prior to this, the last signal sent was on Monday, showing its location inside the Persian Gulf, north of Abu Dhabi. The gap between these two signals means that the ship did not broadcast its whereabouts at all while crossing the Strait of Hormuz. Where did it come from, and what is it carrying? "Eneos Endeavor" entered the Persian Gulf at the end of February this year, loading crude oil at Das Island in the UAE and Mina Al Ahmadi port in Kuwait. According to Bloomberg reports, ship draught data indicates that the tanker’s cargo hold is currently nearly full. According to its voyage plan at the end of April, the destination port was originally listed as Kiire port in Kagoshima, Japan. However, the report points out that the destination has now been changed to "awaiting orders," which means there is currently no definite port schedule and the destination of the cargo is unclear. The tanker belongs to the fleet of Japan's largest refiner, Eneos Holdings. Its spokesperson refused to comment, citing "not disclosing vessel operation status for security reasons." Silent crossing vs. open crossing: two strategies This is the second Japanese VLCC to cross the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the Middle East war. The first was "Idemitsu Maru," which completed the crossing at the end of April but opted to openly broadcast voyage information at that time. Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi subsequently publicly confirmed this news. By contrast, "Eneos Endeavor" chose a more discreet approach this time—turning off the AIS (Automatic Identification System) signal and quietly passing through. The two completely different strategies reflect shipping companies’ current balancing of risk and efficiency in this situation. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important crude oil transport corridors, with a large amount of oil shipped daily to Asia. Since the outbreak of the Middle East war, the security of passage through the strait has attracted much market attention. As a country highly dependent on Middle Eastern oil imports, whether Japanese tankers can pass smoothly directly affects the stability of Japan's energy supply. Risk Warning and Disclaimer The market carries risks, and investment needs caution. This article does not constitute personal investment advice and does not take into account the specific investment objectives, financial status, or needs of individual users. Users should consider whether any opinions, viewpoints, or conclusions in this article fit their own situation. Any investment based on this is at your own risk. ```