A Pakistan-bound oil tanker has successfully passed through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-tracking data, suggesting that some vessels are still able to negotiate safe transit despite disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
The Aframax tanker Karachi, operated by Pakistan National Shipping Corporation (PNSC), transited the strait around March 15 after loading crude oil at Das Island in the Abu Dhabi. Vessel-tracking data shows it is expected to arrive at Karachi on March 17.
Tracking platform MarineTraffic cited data from analytics provider Kpler indicating that the tanker was the first non-Iranian cargo vessel to transit the chokepoint while openly broadcasting its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal since hostilities escalated in the region.
The passage is notable because Iran has attacked several ships in the Gulf since the conflict began more than two weeks ago, effectively disrupting traffic through the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway that handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s seaborne crude oil and liquefied natural gas trade. The threat to shipping has pushed global energy prices higher and raised concerns about supply security for import-dependent countries.
Data from LSEG showed the Karachi sailing close to the Iranian side of the strait before turning eastward toward Pakistan.
Pakistan relies heavily on imported crude and refined fuels from Gulf producers, most of which pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The development underscores the delicate diplomatic position Islamabad faces as tensions escalate in the region.
The country maintains cordial relations with Iran while also keeping close strategic and economic ties with the United States and Saudi Arabia. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia also share a long-standing defence relationship.
Iran’s foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, thanked Pakistan for its “solidarity” in a message posted on social media earlier this week.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s navy has launched operations to safeguard maritime trade routes, including escorting merchant vessels in regional waters. A military source told Reuters that Pakistani naval officials had been in contact with Iranian counterparts but that no escort was required for the Karachi as it was a Pakistani-flagged vessel.
Another tanker operated by PNSC, the Lahore, which loaded crude at Yanbu, was also heading toward Pakistan and was estimated to be about three sailing days away, according to vessel-tracking data.
Pakistan’s finance ministry said the country currently holds “comfortable” petroleum stocks, with supplies secured through March and cargo coverage extending into mid-April. Officials also said Islamabad was working to diversify fuel import sources to reduce vulnerability to regional disruptions.
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