Hormuz ship transits rise May 26 as another Malaysian VLCC exits strait: CAS

Ship transits via the Strait of Hormuz increased to 13 on May 26, including a Malaysian VLCC, S&P Global Commodities at Sea said in a May 27 report.

CAS data shows seven ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz inbound and six ships outbound, compared with a total of eight transits May 25. Ten of the May 26 crossings are linked to Iranian trades, CAS said.

The remainder included the Eagle Veracruz, an MISC-owned VLCC that loaded over 2 million barrels of crude from the Saudi port of Ras Tanura before the Middle East war began Feb. 28, and that is currently sailing to Qinglangshan, China, CAS data shows.

The Eagle Verona, also owned by the Malaysian state-backed carrier, passed Hormuz May 23 with 1.8 million barrels of Iraqi crude loaded in end-February, and is destined for Ningbo, China, according to CAS.

On March 26, Malaysia's government-run Bernama news agency reported the country's oil tankers would be allowed to sail through the strait following high-level diplomatic efforts.

MISC did not respond to an email seeking comment. Malaysia is celebrating the Hari Raya Haji holiday.

Separately, the US-sanctioned MR tanker Miraan, with 200,000 barrels of Iraqi fuel oil, moved outbound through Hormuz May 26, while two Iran-linked MR tankers -- the Well Sail and the Seaway -- transited inbound, according to the CAS report.

On May 27, Iran's state TV reported a draft peace deal that would allow Hormuz traffic to return to the prewar level and lift the US blockade on Iranian ports, citing an unofficial draft of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. The White House said the MOU is "a complete fabrication."

CAS data showed daily transits via the Strait of Hormuz reached 195 on average in February before Iran seized control of the choke point, which handles 20% of global oil trade in normal times.

In response, the US has imposed a blockade on Iranian seaborne trades since April 13, with much of its enforcement taking place near a blockade line between the Iran-Pakistan border and the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula.