Japanese Oil Tanker Passes Through Strait of Hormuz for First Time Since Iran War

Unclear Whether Toll Was Paid
Japan Significantly Increases U.S. Oil Imports

Reuters Yonhap News

A Japanese oil tanker has passed through the Strait of Hormuz with authorization from Iranian authorities for the first time since the outbreak of the Iran war. It has not been confirmed whether a toll was paid to the Iranian side.

According to Iranian state-run Press TV on the 28th (local time), the Idemitsu Maruho, an oil tanker owned by Japanese oil refiner Idemitsu Kosan, sailed through the Strait of Hormuz. This marks the first time a Japanese oil tanker has crossed the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the war. Since the outbreak of the conflict, only three Japanese liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers have previously passed through the strait.

The tanker reportedly loaded 2 million barrels of crude oil at the Juaymah terminal in Saudi Arabia in early March and had been waiting in United Arab Emirates (UAE) waters since then. Press TV reported that the vessel subsequently sailed along the route near Qeshm Island and Larak Island, as designated by Iranian authorities. However, it remains unknown whether a toll was paid to the Iranian side.

Japan originally depended on the Middle East for 95% of its crude oil imports, but as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has persisted, the country has recently significantly increased its imports of U.S. oil. According to Jiji Press, as of the 23rd, 13 oil tankers departing from the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and bound for Japan were confirmed, more than quadrupling from three a month earlier.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.