Two Indian tankers were fired upon by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as the ships attempted to sail through the Strait of Hormuz. One was a supertanker carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude. Reports indicate that one ship made a run for it and the other turned back.
One captain attempted to argue with the IRGC boats that it had received permission from the Iranian authorities to transit the strait but this was ignored.
An Iranian armed forces spokesman explained the turnabout saying: “Unfortunately, the Americans, with repeated breaches of their commitments as is in their history, continue piracy and maritime robbery under the so-called blockade.”
The firing incident took place amidst confusion about whether the Strait of Hormuz was open to shipping or not. Iran had declared it open but then closed it again when the US announced it would continue its blockade of the waterway which is 22 miles wide at its narrowest point.
Several Indian crude and LPG carriers were attempting to cross through the strait but it is not clear if they had made the journey or been forced to turn back.
“It will be interesting to watch whether they successfully clear the passage and continue towards India,” says Sumit Ritolia, senior analyst at Kpler which tracks commodity and ship movements. He adds: “Yesterday felt like an evening of u-turns and false hope.”
Another Kpler report indicated that during a four-hour period on Wednesday: “roughly a dozen vessels, mainly cargo ships, approached the crossing before turning around and heading back.”
On Friday a cruise-ship carrying passengers is also said to have sailed through the strait
Meanwhile, several Iranian crude oil tankers are said to be loading their cargo at Iran’s Kharg Island. One Iranian ship is said to be off the coast of south India. Says Ritolia: “Kpler data shows Iran’s loading continued through the blockade’s first three days, tankers loading, vessels arriving in China and India and 159 mbbl [159,000 barrels] already past the enforcement zone ahead of the sanctions waiver expiry on April 19.”
Saturday’s firing and the continued confusion about whether the strait has been opened or not appears to have raised tensions to new levels. Says Ritolia: “Many India-bound vessels were trying to transit SoH today and this is now a serious escalation and will further dent shipowners confidence and rattle the oil market.”
Earlier news that the Hormuz shutdown might end sent oil prices on the Brent Crude Index down to $91.87.
The Iranian armed forces spokesman also warned: “As long as the United States……complete freedom of passage of vessels to and from Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain completely controlled and in its previous state.”
Yesterday Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that passage for all commercial vessels through Hormuz was completely open following the ceasefire in Lebanon. Today the IRGC Navy countered that saying, opening the strait would be on the orders of Iranian leader (Mojtaba) Khamenei and “not some idiot”.
