The Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arrives in Iraq\u2019s territorial waters off Basra,Iraq April 17, 2026. REUTERS\/Mohammed Aty<\/p>\n
Vietnam-Bound Supertanker Halted By US Navy Resumes Journey<\/p>\n
May 16 (Bloomberg) \u2013A Vietnam-bound supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude, which was halted by US forces days ago after crossing the<\/p>\n
, has resumed its journey.<\/p>\n
got clearance from US authorities to continue, according to its Athens-based manager Eastern Mediterranean Maritime. By early Sunday, the fully laden very large crude carrier had sailed past the boundary line where the US is enforcing its blockade of Iranian shipping.<\/p>\n
U.S. Turns Back Ten Ships as Iran Port Blockade Holds, Tankers Test Limits<\/p>\n
US Central command in Florida didn\u2019t answer a phone call or immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.<\/p>\n
The VLCC sailed out from the Persian Gulf a week ago, moving past the Strait of Hormuz that\u2019s<\/p>\n
, and attempted to move into the Arabian Sea. As it approached the US naval blockade line, the tanker turned back into the Gulf of Oman, ship-tracking data show. US Central Command said at the time the vessel was turned away to enforce the blockade.<\/p>\n
The cargo\u2019s buyer, PetroVietnam Oil Corp., which is the trading arm of the Southeast Asian country\u2019s national energy company, last week sent a letter of appeal to the US for the tanker\u2019s release.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis cargo is of extreme importance to Nghi Son Refinery, to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and to the Vietnamese people,\u201d according to the letter seen by Bloomberg News. \u201cAny further delay risks halting refinery throughput, with cascading consequences for millions of Vietnamese consumers, businesses, public services and industries.\u201d<\/p>\n
The vessel\u2019s transit comes after a\u00a0two-day summit\u00a0between<\/p>\n
US President Donald Trump<\/p>\n
and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, where both agreed the strait should be open but made no apparent progress toward the goal.<\/p>\n
Traffic through the waterway<\/p>\n
remains\u00a0far below\u00a0pre-war levels despite<\/p>\n
in recent days, as several crude tankers exit the Persian Gulf.<\/p>\n
\u00a9\u00a02026\u00a0Bloomberg L.P.<\/p>\n