Ship tracking reports confirm a landmark event: the first LNG tanker to exit the Strait of Hormuz since West Asian tensions ignited on February 28. The Mubaraaz, carrying cargo from ADNOC’s Das Island facility in Abu Dhabi, has cleared the perilous waters and is en route past southern India toward China.
Stranded in the Persian Gulf for weeks amid the blockade, the tanker’s AIS signals vanished near late March before reactivating closer to India. This comes against the backdrop of near-total shutdown of maritime traffic through the strait following the outbreak of US-Iran hostilities.
Critical to global energy, the 21-mile-wide strait facilitates about one-fifth of worldwide crude oil and gas exports. Iran’s full closure, matched by America’s prohibition on Iranian ships, has paralyzed shipments and spiked energy prices globally.
Several vessels from Qatar hovered near the entrance recently but turned back amid rising threats. Unlike them, Mubaraaz forged ahead, with an estimated arrival in China on May 15.
Peace talks between Washington and Tehran include Iran’s offer to unblock the strait in exchange for nuclear dialogue progress. The US, however, dismissed the proposal, citing unresolved atomic issues. While this single transit signals potential cracks in the impasse, analysts predict prolonged disruptions until a comprehensive deal emerges, underscoring the strait’s pivotal role in energy security.
