Pakistani-flagged diesel tanker transits Strait of Hormuz amid blockade: report

A Pakistani-flagged tanker carrying diesel from Kuwait has transited the Strait of Hormuz, marking a rare movement through the blockaded waterway, according to a report by Bloomberg.

The vessel, Khairpur, began its journey on Thursday along a Tehran-approved northern route near Qeshm and Larak islands, based on vessel-tracking data cited in the report.

Operated by Khairpur Shipping Private Limited, the tanker is enroute to Karachi and is expected to arrive on May 4. Data from intelligence firm Kpler shows the vessel was loaded with around 511,000 barrels of diesel at Kuwait’s Mina Al Ahmadi port.

The transit follows a similar movement last month, when another Pakistani-flagged tanker, Shalamar, exited the Gulf carrying about 440,000 barrels of Abu Dhabi’s Das Blend crude.

Shipping through the Strait has been disrupted since late February, when US and Israeli strikes on Iran led to the closure of the waterway, affecting flows of roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply.