Six Tankers Resume Oman Route in Hormuz as Iran Harassment Triggers 8 U-Turns

3 articles · Updated · Fortune · Jul 5

Six oil and gas freighters were seen using the Oman-side corridor in the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, signaling a partial recovery in traffic after abrupt reversals a day earlier.
At least eight vessels made U-turns on Friday and Saturday, with four later switching to the Iran-side route, as Iranian forces kept warning ships by radio to seek Tehran’s permission and use its designated lane.
Kpler data showed 19 observed crossings in either direction on Saturday, but only one vessel openly signaled an inbound Oman-route transit; many ships are now moving dark with transponders off.
Western navies still rate the threat as substantial and say the center of the strait has been mined, leaving tanker operators to navigate a stop-start reopening crucial to normalizing the oil market.