Windward: Bulk carriers find new way out of Hormuz

March 18 ------ Bulk carriers sailing eastbound to exit the Middle East Gulf are increasingly rerouting through Iranian territorial waters to navigate the Strait of Hormuz, avoiding the shorter, standard international shipping lanes, according to Windward.

As transit through the Strait of Hormuz remains severely restricted, commercial shipping is beginning to adapt in visible and unconventional ways. Bulk carriers and other vessels exiting the Middle East Gulf are increasingly altering their routes, opting for longer passages through Iranian territorial waters, highlighting the impact of the disruption to maritime traffic and trade flows.

Strait of Hormuz transit activity has dropped by approximately 97%. As explained, despite this sharp decline, limited movement is still occurring, with evidence suggesting that some vessels are using longer, indirect routes through the strait as they depart the Middle East Gulf.

Furthermore, in nearly all cases these bulk carriers, and others, that have been tracked eastbound through the Strait of Hormuz have previously called at Imam Khomeini port in Iran, one of the Islamic Republic’s key commercial ports, Windward highlights. This pattern adds to growing indications that Iran is enforcing a permission-based transit system and exerting control over the strait as the conflict enters its third week, with the disruption continuing to impact the global economy.

To remind, Kpler analysis showed that between 28 February and 12 March, a total of 15 laden liquid tankers also transited the Strait of Hormuz. Notably, one sanctioned vessel completed the passage without disabling its AIS signal while still deep the Gulf, deviating from the concealment tactics typically associated with shadow fleet operations.

On 15 March, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, stated that the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz remains open to international maritime traffic, though vessels associated with the United States and Israel are reportedly barred from transiting. According to Windward, eight non-Iranian-flagged vessels were tracked passing through the strait with active AIS signals on 16 March nearly double the number recorded earlier in the week.

Source: safety4sea.com