The VLCCs Mayasan and Yakumosan — each carrying about two million barrels of crude — steamed east on 9 April toward the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first visible test of a fragile truce after weeks off Ras Tanura. Shipowners said they remain cautious, weighing crew safety, potential demands from Iranian authorities and the legal and financial risks of transiting waters that saw recent strikes.

Boats on the move Late on 9 April the VLCCs Mayasan and Yakumosan left positions off Ras Tanura in Saudi waters and headed east toward the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-tracking records. Each vessel is understood to be carrying about two million barrels of crude. The Mayasan had been on station in the gulf since mid-March and listed Tomakomai in northern Japan as its destination after loading oil from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in late February. The Yakumosan entered the gulf in late February and took on a cargo of Qatari crude from a floating storage vessel in early March. Other movements around Hormuz reported at the same time included: - The Greek-flagged products tanker Sea Condor, which loaded in Kuwait, moving toward Hormuz. - Three Chinese VLCCs arriving and clustering near the Iranian island of Qeshm, two of them linked to state-owned Cosco Shipping. Why owners are hesitating Hundreds of vessels have remained effectively anchored in the Persian Gulf since US and Israeli strikes began at the end of February. The sudden truce has given owners a reason to consider leaving, but most remain unwilling to commit without clearer guarantees. Shipowners must balance the safety of crews and cargoes with legal and financial risks of travelling through waters where naval and militia activity has been high only weeks earlier. Owners also say Iran has demanded payments or other arrangements to secure safe passage. Accepting such demands risks exposing companies to sanctions regimes, a legal hazard many shipowners are keen to avoid. The result is a patchwork of vessels edging nearer to Hormuz while many remain in holding areas farther inside the gulf. How operators are responding Mitsui OSK Lines (MOL), a major Japanese shipowner, is linked to the two VLCCs. Ship registries and maritime databases show the vessels are managed by MOL; Mayasan is owned by MOL while Yakumosan is owned by Phoenix Ocean, a company that shares MOL’s address. MOL told reporters it could not comment on the navigation status or operational measures of individual vessels, and that its priority was the safety of seafarers, cargo and vessels. MOL’s president, Jotaro Tamura, said the group would need to scrutinise details and the implementation of the ceasefire before permitting tankers to test the strait. The company has previously withdrawn at least one vessel from the gulf before the ceasefire, indicating major operators are prepared to pull ships back if conditions look risky. Political signals and mixed traffic The US president said he had announced a full opening of Hormuz as part of the ceasefire deal, but later criticised Iran for what he called a "very poor" job of letting oil through. Traffic through the strait ticked up briefly at the weekend, then slowed again, underlining how fragile any reopening remains. For states and shippers the clustering of vessels near Qeshm is a practical response. The island has become a gateway for transits; concentration there allows ship operators to monitor how Iranian authorities handle transit requests and whether informal payments or guarantees are being demanded. The presence of Chinese state-linked tonnage suggests major trading nations are quietly probing the new arrangements.

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MOL president Jotaro Tamura said the group would need to scrutinise details and the implementation of the ceasefire before permitting tankers to test the strait.

This article was created with AI assistance.