Bloomberg: Pakistan-flagged tanker first to exit Hormuz since US blockade

A Pakistan-flagged oil tanker has become the first vessel to exit the Strait of Hormuz carrying crude since a U.S. blockade began on April 13, highlighting how limited traffic through the vital chokepoint remains.

The Aframax tanker Shalamar sailed out of the Persian Gulf late on April 16, passing south of Iran’s Larak Island and into the Gulf of Oman, according to ship-tracking data cited by Bloomberg.

The vessel was carrying approximately 450,000 barrels of crude oil loaded at Das Island in the United Arab Emirates. It is currently signaling Karachi as its destination and is reported to be only half full.

The tanker’s transit underscores the limited flow of oil shipments through the strait since the blockade was imposed. Under current restrictions, the U.S. Navy requires shipowners to obtain permits from both Iranian and American authorities to export oil and other cargo from the Persian Gulf.

The Shalamar had previously attempted to pass through the Strait of Hormuz last weekend but was forced to turn back following a breakdown in negotiations between Iran and the United States.

It later made a second attempt, successfully transiting the chokepoint after calling at Das Island to load crude, marking a rare movement amid ongoing tensions in the region.

By Sabina Mammadli