The Strait of Hormuz might have been secretly traversed, as a liquefied natural gas tanker quietly passed through the strait.
Reported by U.S. media CNN on April 28.
Shipping analytics firm Kpler stated today that this is the first time since the outbreak of war in Iran that a fully loaded liquefied natural gas tanker has passed through the Strait of Hormuz.
Kpler speculated that the vessel may have turned off its transponder and reappeared near the southern coast of India overnight, leaving unclear exactly when the "Mubarak" tanker crossed the strait.
"The vessel may have successfully made it through the strait over the weekend of April 18–19, when multiple ships attempted to pass through (including seven LNG carriers), but this has not yet been confirmed," said Charles Kostrou, senior analyst at Kpler.
Kpler added that the ship loaded its cargo about two months ago at Darsa Island in the UAE and is likely heading toward some Asian country, though its exact destination remains unknown.
However, according to AIS data from the maritime tracking website MarineTraffic, only six vessels attempted to pass through the waterway this morning.
These include a container ship traveling from the UAE to Nhava Sheva Port in India, two oil tankers—one originating from Ras Tanura port in Saudi Arabia and the other from Hamriya Free Zone in the UAE—and a cargo ship flying the Iranian flag.
None of them have yet fully passed through the strait.
Analysts note that ships can stop broadcasting their AIS data—which reveals their location—meaning more vessels may have slipped through the strait undetected by marine trackers.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863715346123904/
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