Dubai/Islamabad: Two empty supertankers, one flying Pakistan’s flag, executed sharp U-turns near the Strait of Hormuz entrance on Sunday, coinciding with the breakdown of US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan that jeopardized a tenuous ceasefire, according to Bloomberg.
Tracking data revealed three very large crude carriers (VLCCs) — none directly connected to Iran — nearing the chokepoint from the Gulf of Oman late on Saturday, reaching Iran’s Larak Island early on Sunday. There, the Iraq-destined Agios Fanourios I and Pakistan-flagged Shalamar, bound for the UAE’s Das Island, abruptly retreated despite prior Iranian clearance.
A third VLCC, Mombasa B, continued via the approved Larak-Qeshm channel into the Persian Gulf, showing no clear destination. The motives behind the reversals — and the third ship’s success — stay murky, especially as Islamabad negotiations concluded without resolution, as reported by The Economic Times.
Strait Closure Fuels Global Oil Crisis
The Strait of Hormuz ranks among the world’s top energy arteries, its six-week blockade — triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran — has unleashed massive supply chaos. Reopening it dominated weekend talks, yet the impasse persists.
Iran has wielded the route’s control as economic warfare, spiking oil prices and intensifying political heat on President Trump amid US consumer gripes over fuel costs.
Saturday saw US forces announce two Navy warships traversing the strait to demine and deem it a “safe pathway” for tankers. Tehran rejected claims of their passage, vowing retaliation, while the Revolutionary Guards’ Naval Command clarified ceasefire safe-pass guarantees cover only “civilian vessels under specific conditions.”
The US feels oil price surges acutely but relies less on Gulf imports than European partners, whom Trump has slammed for skipping the war for not being consulted. “We’ll open up the strait even though we don’t use it, because we have a lot of other countries in the world that do use it that are either afraid or weak or cheap,” Trump stated.
Failed Transits Signal Heightened Risks
Multiple vessels have tested the strait lately, often aborting amid fluid threats — mostly outbound from the Gulf, though inbound empties remain vital for reloading.
Two Chinese container ships U-turned last month before exiting successfully; an LNG carrier retreated last week.
Post-21-hour Islamabad huddle, US Vice President JD Vance declared a deadlock. Addressing press, he noted: “We’ve had a number of substance agreements with the Iranians — that is the good news. The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. That is bad news for Iran, much more than it is bad news for the United States of America.” He added they would head back to the US.
