Chinese Oil Tanker Docks Off Oman After Gulf Standoff

A Chinese supertanker loaded with two million barrels of Iraqi crude has finally crossed the Strait of Hormuz and dropped anchor off the coast of Oman, according to vessel tracking data from the London Stock Exchange Group and Kepler. The ship had been stranded in the Gulf for over two months due to the ongoing war between the United States and Iran.

The vessel, named the Yuan Hua Hao, is now positioned near an area where the US Navy has imposed a blockade on Iranian ships. This crossing marks the third known transit of a Chinese oil tanker through the strategic waterway since the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran began on February 28.

Political Timing and Regional Deals

The transit comes as US President Donald Trump is scheduled to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping within the next two days, and follows a visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Beijing last week. Informed sources indicated that Iran has apparently tightened its grip on the strait in recent days, striking agreements with Iraq and Pakistan to ship oil and liquefied natural gas from the region.

Other nations are also exploring similar arrangements, a move that could further cement Tehran's control over the waterway, sources said.

Vessel Ownership and Cargo

The supertanker is owned and operated by Hainan, a unit of Cosco Shipping Energy Transportation, and is chartered by Unipec, the trading arm of state-owned Sinopec. Tracking data shows the vessel loaded approximately two million barrels of Basra Medium crude from Iraq's Basra port in early March, and had been stuck inside the Gulf ever since before heading toward Asia.

Two other Chinese-flagged supertankers, the Kosperl Lake and the He Rong Hai, managed to cross the strait on April 11. Satellite analysis from data firm Sin Max and separate data from MarineTraffic also showed that a vehicle carrier named the Xiang Jiang Kou, operated by a Singapore-registered company, crossed the waterway in the past twelve hours.