Pakistan Oil Tanker Makes Rare Entry and Exit Through Hormuz

By Weilun Soon

Apr 17, 2026 (Bloomberg) –A Pakistan-flagged tanker that entered the Persian Gulf over the weekend has become the first carrier to exit through the Strait of Hormuz with a crude cargo since a US blockade began on Monday, underscoring just how limited traffic through the vital chokepoint remains.

The Shalamar sailed just south of Iran’s Larak island and out into the Gulf of Oman late Thursday with around 450,000 barrels of crude loaded at Das Island in the United Arab Emirates, according to ship-tracking data. The Aframax tanker, only half full, is signaling Karachi as its destination.

Transits through the narrow waterway have been mostly in single digits since US and Israeli strikes began at the end of February and, after a weekend spike, they have returned to those low levels. A US Navy blockade now requires shipowners to clear both Iranian and American authorities in order to move oil and other goods from the Persian Gulf to the world.

Though a trio of supertankers laden with non-Iranian crude made it out last week, few others with such cargoes have crossed Hormuz over the past seven weeks, even before US warships closed in. Even with apparent clearance from Iran for some Pakistan vessels, that makes the Shalamar’s crossing — after just days in the Gulf — even more unusual.

Until the latest US maneuver, Iran’s own fleet had continued to trickle through, transporting nearly 1.7 million barrels per day of crude exports in March. That flow has now largely stopped as both sides consider a fresh round of negotiations.

Shalamar first attempted to cross Hormuz into the Persian Gulf on Sunday, but it U-turned as peace talks between Iran and the US broke down. It made the passage a few hours later, headed for the UAE’s Das Island.

Then came a US blockade of Iran’s coastline — announced by President Donald Trump and in effect from Monday — leaving shipowners to reassess the risks of any crossing. Shalamar began to head east on Thursday and is currently in the Gulf of Oman heading into the Arabian Sea.

Since the US began its blockade only a few vessels have attempted to leave the Persian Gulf — and some have tried only to U-turn back through Hormuz. US Central Command said on Thursday that 14 vessels have turned around in three days.

The blockade stretches from the Omani coastline near Ras al Hadd, northeast to the Iran-Pakistani border, according to a map shown in an online video shared by the naval unit on Thursday.

Four vessels — all headed to non-Iran destinations — have either made or are approaching inbound transits on Friday, while two bulk carriers that came from Iran were seen sailing out into the Gulf of Oman. 

Shalamar is owned and managed by Pakistan National Shipping Corp., maritime database Equasis shows. The company did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

source : gcaptain