Companies step up efforts to try to free their ships from the Hormuz trap

It was still dark when the Akti A, a smaller tanker carrying 300,000 barrels of diesel, managed to escape through the Strait of Hormuz. In the early hours of Saturday, the vessel led a line of ships whose crews were desperate to leave the Persian Gulf after Iran briefly signaled that the passage was “completely open.”

Operated by Denmark’s Maersk Tankers and carrying fuel for commodities trader Vitol, the Akti A had been waiting fully loaded near Bahrain for weeks, while other vessels in the area were being hit by Iranian drones and missiles.

The operators chose the timing well. Shortly after the crossing, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard deployed armed boats into the channel. By Wednesday night, the Akti A was already sailing toward the Cape of Good Hope.

For the world’s largest oil and gas trading houses, extracting tankers trapped in the Persian Gulf has become one of the most complex challenges of the war, already incurring substantial costs for insurance, vessel maintenance, and additional port fees.

In some cases, the cost has been even higher. On March 12, a crew member died after vessels carrying naphtha shipments for Vitol, including the Safesea Vishnu, were set ablaze by Iranian forces.

Throughout the eight weeks of conflict, escape routes have intermittently opened, only to close again shortly after. Crossing the Strait of Hormuz can take up to eight hours, meaning conditions can shift before vessels complete the passage.

On Wednesday, Tehran attacked three container ships. The Revolutionary Guard said it had seized two of them and escorted them into Iranian territorial waters, in what appeared to be retaliation for a U.S. blockade targeting vessels linked to Iran.

If confirmed, it would mark the first such seizure since the start of the war.

One of the clearest windows for passage came the previous Friday, when Iran declared the strait “completely open” following a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Shipowners quickly moved vessels toward the passage despite warnings that the route might be mined.

The opportunity proved short-lived. With the United States maintaining its blockade of Iranian ports, Tehran stated on Saturday morning that the strait would remain under its control and that only authorized vessels would be guaranteed safe passage.

Swiss Marine CEO Peter Weernink said he had instructed one of his vessels to attempt the crossing on Friday. However, the Chinese owner only consulted its government on Saturday morning — by which time the situation had already changed. The transit was canceled.

“They will only cross when there is no risk,” Weernink said. “You need absolute clarity that there will be no attacks, and confirmation from both sides that the vessel can pass.”

Several ships from CMA CGM also attempted the crossing but turned back after one was hit by a projectile. In the convoy led by the Akti A, vessels further back also retreated after receiving messages from Iranian forces.

The last vessel to pass safely that morning was a tanker carrying oil for Azerbaijan’s state company Socar. The cargo generated significant profit, according to sources.

Some strategies have focused on partnerships with countries that maintain close ties with Iran. At various times, Tehran has shown greater flexibility toward vessels linked to allies such as China and Pakistan, and has also indicated that some ships could pay tolls using cryptocurrencies.

Ships from Oman, which has close relations with Iran and territorial waters covering part of the strait, have used routes close to its coastline.

At the start of the war, Trafigura had 10 of the 375 tankers it manages trapped in the Persian Gulf. That number has since fallen to nine, according to CEO Richard Holtum, who noted they are chartered vessels subleased to other companies.

One vessel that successfully exited, the Omani-flagged Dhalkut, left on April 2 as part of a convoy of ships linked to Oman, sailing close to the country’s coast.

Another trader, Mercuria, had three vessels in the region at the start of the conflict — all of which have now exited, according to sources. Its CEO, Marco Dunand, declined to detail how. “There are several ways to do it, but I won’t say how,” he said.

He added that more ships have been passing through Hormuz than widely assumed. Traffic has not been limited to tankers: a small flotilla of cruise ships also crossed on Saturday, including vessels from MSC Cruises and Tui.

Tui said no payments were made to Iran and that the crossing was conducted with proper coordination and approvals from relevant authorities. Trafigura, Mercuria, and Vitol also denied making payments, which could violate U.S. sanctions.

Companies considered more exposed, such as MSC, have attempted crossings with tracking systems turned off. Six MSC vessels transited the strait over the weekend with their transponders switched off, according to maritime tracking data. Still, two vessels linked to the company were later seized.

MSC declined to comment.

Mercuria’s global head of freight, Larry Johnson, criticized the lack of coordinated international efforts to ensure safe passage.

“There is no coordinated effort to establish a formal mechanism for ships to pass through Hormuz,” he said.

According to him, vessels that manage to cross are often those linked to governments and have access to naval support or direct diplomatic channels.

“Purely private trading companies have no real mechanism to deal with this,” he concluded.

Image generated by artificial intelligence

Source: Valor Econômico

Sharing is caring!