Since the Iran conflict for the first time: Japanese oil tanker reportedly successfully passes through the Strait of Hormuz
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A super large crude oil tanker associated with Japanese oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan has reportedly successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, becoming the first Japanese tanker to successfully leave the Persian Gulf since the US and Israel took military action against Iran, marking a significant shift in energy supply strategy for Japanese refiners and shipowners.
According to several media reports, the "Idemitsu Maru," fully loaded with 2 million barrels of Saudi crude oil, departed northwest of Abu Dhabi on Monday evening, sailed along a route approved by the Iranian government, and successfully passed through the strait on Tuesday. LSEG shipping data confirmed the smooth passage, and the vessel currently shows its destination as Nagoya, Japan, with an estimated arrival of May 18.
This passage occurred against the sensitive backdrop of US military blockades on Iranian ports and shipping traffic through the strait dropping to nearly zero. Kpler and SynMax data showed that before the outbreak of conflict in Iran, around 125 to 140 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily, but only 7 were recorded in the past 24 hours. The "Idemitsu Maru" passage was also one of the largest crossing attempts since the US started its maritime blockade of Iran two weeks ago.
Taking the Iran-approved route, previously anchored for over a week
According to media citing tanker tracking data, the "Idemitsu Maru" was anchored in the northwest sea area of Abu Dhabi for more than a week before departing for the Strait of Hormuz on Monday evening. The vessel chose a northern route close to Qeshm Island and Larak Island—that is, the route approved by Tehran—and completed the passage on Tuesday.
Independent data from MarineTraffic indicated the "Idemitsu Maru" was about 30 kilometers east of Larak Island at the time, heading east, with its Automated Identification System (AIS) activated.
The "Idemitsu Maru," built in 2007, sails under the Panama flag and is a VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) operated by Idemitsu Kosan's tanker division. The 2 million barrels of crude oil aboard were loaded at Saudi Arabia's Juaymah terminal in early March this year. The vessel entered the Persian Gulf just days before the US and Israel attacked Iran at the end of February.
An Idemitsu Kosan spokesperson said on Tuesday that, for safety reasons, the company does not comment on individual vessels.
It is worth noting that due to some vessels shutting off their transponders and signal interference in the area, ship tracking data for the Strait of Hormuz may not fully reflect all passages.
Japan shifts strategy, previously relied on ship-to-ship transfers
According to reports, before the "Idemitsu Maru" passage, Japanese refiners and shipowners were highly cautious due to the conflict. Previously, Idemitsu Kosan and other refiners mainly relied on ship-to-ship transfers outside the Persian Gulf for part of their cargo and switched to buying US alternative supplies transported by smaller tankers.
Some media noted that before the US-Iran conflict erupted on February 28, disrupting Middle Eastern crude oil and LNG supplies, about 95% of Japan's oil imports came from the Middle East, most of which were transported via the Strait of Hormuz.
During the war, Japanese-related vessels had successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz, but only for transporting other goods.
According to reports, earlier this month, a liquefied petroleum gas carrier co-owned by another Japanese shipowner completed a passage with Indian assistance. The Sohar LNG vessel jointly owned by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) and the Green Sanvi LPG vessel owned by Mitsui & Co. have also successfully crossed.
The passage by "Idemitsu Maru" is so far one of the largest cases in terms of size.
US naval blockade of Iran persists, Iran responds uncompromisingly
The passage of "Idemitsu Maru" coincided with the US maintaining its maritime blockade of Iran during the US-Iran ceasefire, a blockade regarded by Iran as a major obstacle to launching a new round of negotiations with the US.
According to Xinhua, the US Central Command stated on Tuesday, the 28th, that US forces boarded and inspected a container ship named "Blue Star 3" in the Arabian Sea, suspecting it of attempting to sail to Iran in violation of the US blockade on Iranian ports. After confirming its route did not include Iranian ports, it was released. According to CCTV News, US Central Command also announced that since the blockade began, 39 vessels have altered their route at the request of the US military.
Iran has continued to send strong signals. According to CCTV, on the 28th, the deputy commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy stated that Iran has achieved "absolute control" over the Strait of Hormuz, requiring passing vessels to pay a transit fee and foreign vessels to use Persian communications when traversing, stressing that "without orders from the Supreme Leader and the will of the people, Iran will never allow even a single drop of oil to flow out of the strait."
According to CCTV News, Iran's permanent mission to the United Nations also issued a statement on the 28th, saying that as the main coastal state of the territorial waters where the Strait of Hormuz is located, Iran reserves the right to take necessary and proportional measures in response to security threats, accusing the US of "illegal actions" endangering international navigation safety, and stressing that any consequences from obstructed transportation in the Persian Gulf region should be borne by the US.
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