Japanese Oil Tanker Appears Outside Hormuz After Rare Passage

SadaNews - A giant Japanese oil tanker appeared in the Gulf of Oman after its last tracking signal indicated it was in the Arabian Gulf, indicating a rare and discreet crossing of the Strait of Hormuz by a vessel from the Asian state.

Tracking data showed that the tanker "Eneos Endeavor", a giant crude oil carrier, began sending its location signals north of the Omani capital Muscat late on Wednesday while sailing east towards the Arabian Sea.

This came after the last signal for the tanker on Monday showed it was in the Arabian Gulf, north of Abu Dhabi.

Silent Sailing Through Hormuz

The gap in the signal transmission indicates that the vessel sailed through the Strait of Hormuz without revealing its movements via broadcasting devices.

The "Eneos Endeavor" had sailed to the Arabian Gulf in late February to load crude oil from Das Island in the United Arab Emirates and from the Ahmadi port in Kuwait. The ship's draft readings indicate it is nearly full of cargo.

The vessel had indicated in late April that it was heading to the Kiri port in Japan, but it currently shows that it is "waiting for instructions", reflecting the absence of a specific destination port so far.

Data from the company's website indicate that the tanker is listed within the fleet of the Japanese refining company "Eneos Holdings".

A spokesperson for the company declined to comment, stating that it does not disclose the operational status of vessels for safety reasons.

Second Giant Japanese Tanker to Cross the Strait

The "Eneos Endeavor" is considered the second giant tanker owned by Japan to cross this narrow waterway since the outbreak of war in the Middle East in late February.

In late April, "Idemitsu Maru" was the first giant Japanese crude oil tanker to cross the strait, but it did so while continuing to broadcast its voyage data.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takachi also confirmed that another ship had crossed the strait, adding that Tokyo is urging Tehran to ensure the free and safe passage of all ships through the waterway.