Trump claims Iran has surrendered to Middle East neighbours; Israeli strikes hit Beirut
As the Strait of Hormuz passage nearly came to a halt for the sixth day, Iranian-linked tankers were the only large ships to pass through in the last 24 hours.
According to ship tracking data, an Iran-bound supertanker left the Persian Gulf during the observed window.
A carrier of liquefied petroleum gas entered in the opposite direction. Both ships are approved by the United States.
Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, a vital energy artery, virtually came to a standstill following attacks on commercial ships. Missile and drone activities continue to pose a critical risk to all ships in the vicinity.
The inability of oil tankers to get in and out of the Gulf means storage tanks are filling up and some refineries are reducing capacity. Iraq was forced to reduce production and Saudi Arabia redirected exports to terminals on the Red Sea, while Kuwait reportedly followed suit.
Tracking data shows there were just nine empty supertankers in the Gulf as of Friday.
Almost seven percent of global fertilizer exports, close to six percent of precious metals, 5.3 percent of aluminum and aluminum products, and 4.4 percent of cement and other non-metallic minerals are shipped through Persian Gulf ports and are at risk of disruption.
Bloomberg
