New York: An oil tanker carrying fuel destined for India has cleared the Strait of Hormuz, maritime tracking sites reported on Friday.
The Nissos Keros, bound for Visakhapatnam, is due to arrive on 3 June, according to multiple tracking services. The Marshall Islands flagged vessel departed Sharjah on 21 May and was reported at 06:00 IST on Friday in the northern Arabian Sea off India’s west coast.
Iran’s IRNA news agency said the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy permitted 23 commercial vessels, including oil tankers and container ships, to transit the Strait in the previous 24 hours. The agency quoted the military as saying all transits were carried out following formal coordination with IRGC naval authorities.
It remained unclear whether any vessels paid fees to transit the waterway. Earlier this month Tehran announced the creation of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) to regulate maritime traffic, and Iranian officials have suggested charges could be required for passage. The United Nations regards levying fees for transit through international waters as illegal.
The US has urged Iran to restore free navigation through the Strait, which Tehran has mined and where several ships have been attacked since US forces joined Israeli strikes on Iran in February. Freedom of navigation is a key sticking point in talks aimed at ending the conflict.
Aukevisser’s vessel database lists Nissos Keros’s owner as Arethusa Shipping Corporation and its operator as Kyklades Maritime Corporation. Built by Hyundai, the tanker is 333 metres long with a capacity of 318,744 tonnes (338,648 cubic metres).
The International Maritime Organization’s secretary general, Arsenio Dominguez, has said about 1,500 ships are currently held up in the Persian Gulf.
(Inputs from IANS)