The Malta-flagged tanker Agios Fanourios I, an oil tanker that sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, arrives in Iraq’s territorial waters off Basra,Iraq April 17, 2026. REUTERS/Mohammed Aty
Vietnam-Bound Supertanker Halted By US Navy Resumes Journey
May 16 (Bloomberg) –A Vietnam-bound supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude, which was halted by US forces days ago after crossing the
, has resumed its journey.
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.
U.S. Turns Back Ten Ships as Iran Port Blockade Holds, Tankers Test Limits
US Central command in Florida didn’t answer a phone call or immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
The VLCC sailed out from the Persian Gulf a week ago, moving past the Strait of Hormuz that’s
, 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.
The cargo’s buyer, PetroVietnam Oil Corp., which is the trading arm of the Southeast Asian country’s national energy company, last week sent a letter of appeal to the US for the tanker’s release.
“This cargo is of extreme importance to Nghi Son Refinery, to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and to the Vietnamese people,” according to the letter seen by Bloomberg News. “Any further delay risks halting refinery throughput, with cascading consequences for millions of Vietnamese consumers, businesses, public services and industries.”
The vessel’s transit comes after a two-day summit between
US President Donald Trump
and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, where both agreed the strait should be open but made no apparent progress toward the goal.
Traffic through the waterway
remains far below pre-war levels despite
in recent days, as several crude tankers exit the Persian Gulf.
© 2026 Bloomberg L.P.