Pakistani tanker exits Strait of Hormuz amid blockade: Report

TEHRAN (MNTV) — A Pakistani-flagged tanker carrying diesel from Kuwait has transited out of the Strait of Hormuz, marking a rare passage through the blockaded waterway, Bloomberg reported.

The tanker Khairpur, operated by Khairpur Shipping Private Limited, began its journey Thursday along a Tehran-approved northern route near Iran’s Qeshm and Larak islands, according to vessel-tracking data cited by Bloomberg. The ship is headed toward the port city of Karachi and is expected to arrive May 4.

The vessel was loaded with about 511,000 barrels of diesel at Kuwait’s Mina Al Ahmadi port, based on data from intelligence firm Kpler.

Last month, another Pakistani tanker, Shalamar, exited the Gulf through the same waterway carrying roughly 440,000 barrels of Abu Dhabi’s Das Blend crude aboard an Aframax-class vessel.

The movements come as global oil prices remain elevated following the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran in late February, which led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and disrupted shipments of about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas supplies. Brent crude surged about 50% in March.

A ceasefire has been in place since April 8, but uncertainty persists. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said Thursday that expecting rapid progress in talks with the United States was unrealistic, according to the official Islamic Republic News Agency.

“Expecting to reach a result in a short time, regardless of who the mediator is, in my opinion, is not very realistic,” he said.

Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump was scheduled to receive a briefing on plans for potential new military strikes on Iran aimed at forcing negotiations, a U.S. official told Reuters.