FILE PHOTO: Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from northern Ras al-Khaimah, near the border with Oman\u2019s Musandam governance, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in United Arab Emirates, March 11, 2026. REUTERS\/Stringer\/\/File Photo<\/p>\n
Pakistan Oil Tanker Makes Rare Entry and Exit Through Hormuz<\/p>\n
Apr 17, 2026 (Bloomberg) \u2013A Pakistan-flagged tanker that entered the Persian Gulf over the weekend has become the first carrier to exit through the Strait of Hormuz with a crude cargo since a US blockade began on Monday, underscoring just how limited traffic through the vital chokepoint remains.<\/p>\n
sailed just south of Iran\u2019s Larak island and out into the Gulf of Oman late Thursday with around 450,000 barrels of crude loaded at Das Island in the United Arab Emirates, according to ship-tracking data. The Aframax tanker, only half full, is signaling Karachi as its destination.<\/p>\n
Transits through the narrow waterway have been mostly in single digits since US and Israeli strikes began at the end of February and, after a weekend spike, they have returned to those low levels. A US Navy blockade now requires shipowners to clear both Iranian and American authorities in order to move oil and other goods from the Persian Gulf to the world.<\/p>\n
laden with non-Iranian crude made it out last week, few others with such cargoes have crossed Hormuz over the past seven weeks, even before US warships closed in. Even with apparent<\/p>\n
from Iran for some Pakistan vessels, that makes the<\/p>\n
\u2019s crossing \u2014 after just days in the Gulf \u2014 even more unusual.<\/p>\n
Until the latest US maneuver, Iran\u2019s own fleet had continued to trickle through, transporting nearly 1.7 million barrels per day of crude exports in March. That flow has now largely stopped as both sides consider a fresh round of negotiations.<\/p>\n
first attempted to cross Hormuz into the Persian Gulf on Sunday, but it<\/p>\n
as peace talks between Iran and the US broke down. It made the passage a few hours later, headed for the UAE\u2019s Das Island.<\/p>\n
Then came a US blockade of Iran\u2019s coastline \u2014 announced by President Donald Trump and in effect from Monday \u2014 leaving shipowners to reassess the risks of any crossing.<\/p>\n
began to head east on Thursday and is currently in the Gulf of Oman heading into the Arabian Sea.<\/p>\n
Oil Producers, Shipowners in Standoff Over Who Takes Hormuz Risk<\/p>\n
Since the US began its blockade only a few vessels have attempted to leave the Persian Gulf \u2014 and some have tried only to U-turn back through Hormuz. US Central Command said on Thursday that<\/p>\n
have turned around in three days.<\/p>\n
The blockade stretches from the Omani coastline near Ras al Hadd, northeast to the Iran-Pakistani border, according to a map shown in an online video shared by the naval unit on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Four vessels \u2014 all headed to non-Iran destinations \u2014 have either made or are approaching inbound transits on Friday, while two bulk carriers that came from Iran were seen sailing out into the Gulf of Oman.<\/p>\n
is owned and managed by Pakistan National Shipping Corp., maritime database Equasis shows. The company did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a02026\u00a0Bloomberg L.P.<\/p>\n