Published Sun, Apr 12, 2026 · 02:52 PM

TWO empty supertankers attempted to make their way through the Strait of Hormuz and into the Persian Gulf on Sunday (Apr 12), only to make a last-minute U-turn just as peace negotiations between the US and Iran broke down, threatening a fragile ceasefire.

A trio of very large crude carriers – all without direct links to Iran – began to approach the narrow waterway from the Gulf of Oman late on Saturday, ship-tracking data show, arriving near Iran’s Larak island early on Sunday.

At that effective checkpoint, Iraq-bound Agios Fanourios I and Pakistan-flagged Shalamar, destined for Das island in the United Arab Emirates, turned back.

A third VLCC, Mombasa B, was sailing ahead and made its way between Larak and Qeshm islands, an Iran-approved route into the Persian Gulf. It is not currently signalling a clear destination.

The specific reasons behind the about-turns – and the third, successful passage – are not clear, as both Iraq and Pakistan had earlier received approvals from Iran to transit the strait.

But their change of heart came just as negotiators in Islamabad announced they had failed to reach a deal.

The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy thoroughfares and its effective closure since the US and Israel began strikes on Iran six weeks ago has resulted in unprecedented supply disruption.

Its reopening has been a crucial ...