Three Oman-flagged tankers enter Strait of Hormuz without sailing through Iranian waters — what route did they take?

Three tankers reportedly entered the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday by hugging the Oman coastline, taking a different route from the usual northerly passage through Iranian waters amid the ongoing war in West Asia.

According to a Bloomberg report, two oil supertankers and a liquefied natural gas (LNG) vessel — all broadcasting Omani ownership — headed eastward through the Strait, sailing close to the Oman coast.

All three ships are managed by the Oman Ship Management Company, Bloomberg added, citing the Equasis marine database. The company has not yet commented on the transit.

The development comes as Iran’s IRNA news agency, citing Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi, reported that Iran and Oman are jointly drafting a protocol to monitor maritime traffic through the strait. Iran is also said to be exploring a tolling system that could charge up to $2 million per voyage. Oman’s position on the reported traffic-monitoring protocol remains unclear.

What route did the ships take?

The trio of vessels, headed towards the Strait of Hormuz from the Persian Gulf, stopped transmitting automated position signals at 9:30 AM UK time while rounding the tip of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, which juts northwards into the strategic waterway, the Bloomberg report said.

The two supertankers were carrying about 2 million barrels of crude, while the LNG vessel appeared to be empty, it added.

While it remains unclear whether the ships completed the journey, what stands out is that their route lay south of the designated shipping lanes through the Strait of Hormuz, and well south of the path between Iran’s Larak and Qeshm islands, which has been used by vessels exiting the Gulf in recent days.

The route between Larak and Qeshm islands has also been linked to Iran’s reported plans to levy transit fees. However, its relatively shallow depth and tight turns make it less suitable for the largest tankers.

UNSC vote on Hormuz delayed

The Strait of Hormuz, whose effective closure has upended global energy markets and pushed oil prices well above $100 a barrel, remains central to the ongoing conflict, as well as to reported diplomatic engagements between Washington and Tehran.

Amid disruptions to global energy trade, the 15-member United Nations Security Council was scheduled to vote on Friday on a resolution authorising the use of “defensive” force to protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. However, the vote has been delayed, with no revised date announced.

Iran has warned that any action against it regarding the Strait would only “complicate” an already delicate international situation.

“Any provocative action by the aggressors and their supporters, including in the United Nations Security Council regarding the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, will only complicate the situation,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump warned of further escalation on Thursday.

“Our Military, the greatest and most powerful (by far!) anywhere in the World, hasn’t even started destroying what’s left in Iran. Bridges next, then Electric Power Plants! New Regime leadership knows what has to be done, and has to be done, FAST! (sic),” wrote the US President, who has repeatedly called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz since the war broke out on 28 February.