Iraqi Oil Supertanker Heads to China as LNG Carriers Sail for Pakistan Through Hormuz

25/05/2026

Iraqi Oil Supertanker Heads to China as LNG Carriers Sail for Pakistan Through Hormuz

BAGHDAD, May 25: Several vessels carrying crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the Middle East have resumed transits out of the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, with shipments heading mainly to China and Pakistan, according to shipping data released on Monday.

Two LNG carriers were reported exiting the Strait of Hormuz en route to Pakistan and China, while a supertanker transporting Iraqi crude oil to China departed the Gulf on Saturday after remaining stranded for nearly three months.

The vessels are among a limited number of supertankers that have successfully exited the Gulf this month through a designated transit corridor ordered by Iran amid ongoing regional tensions and maritime restrictions.

Last week, three Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) carrying around six million barrels of crude oil also completed voyages toward China and South Korea, signaling a gradual resumption of energy shipments through the strategically vital waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz remains one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints, handling a major share of global oil and LNG exports.