At least eight vessels managed by Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. are leaving the Strait of Hormuz via a corridor close to Iran, ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg and the Equasis database show. The group comprises five supertankers - each with a carrying capacity of 2 million barrels of crude - along with two chemical tankers and a car carrier.
The vessels are traveling together in a convoy. According to the tracking records, some of the ships had earlier attempted to exit the waterway by other means but abandoned those attempts before joining the current passage.
Iran has moved to assert control over the Strait of Hormuz since reaching an interim peace agreement with the United States last month. The country has repeatedly said it will permit crossings only for ships that have its authorization. Over the recent weekend, several tankers ceased attempts to use a U.S.-managed route along the coast of Oman. Some of those vessels then completed their transits after switching to the route nearer to Iran.
If the Mitsui-controlled vessels complete their transit through the strait, the tally of large oil tankers that have remained trapped in the Persian Gulf since the outset of the war would fall to only a few, down from more than 100 in early March, according to the tracking accounts cited.
Mitsui OSK Lines is among the owners of oil and gas tankers that have, indirectly, sought support from Tokyo to secure the removal of their ships. Japan, which relies on imports of energy, has repeatedly urged Iran to guarantee free passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Japanese officials have engaged with Iranian counterparts at various points during the conflict as Tokyo pushed Tehran for assurances of safe transit.
In June, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines stated it would resume passage through the Strait of Hormuz only after a full confirmation of safety. The company said that restarting navigation would require close coordination with relevant governments, insurance firms and other stakeholders before operations could safely recommence.
Context and operational notes
The tracked convoy reflects a broader change in vessel routing amid evolving controls and security arrangements in the strait. The use of a passage closer to Iran follows aborted attempts to use a U.S.-managed corridor along the Oman coast and comes against a backdrop of diplomatic engagement involving Tokyo and Tehran.