First full gas tanker exits Strait of Hormuz since Iran war began

Key Points:

• The liquefied natural gas tanker Mubaraz, carrying over 130,000 cubic meters of gas from the UAE, successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz en route to China, marking the first natural gas shipment to exit the Persian Gulf since the Iran war began.
• Mubaraz's transponder had been off since late March while it loitered in the contested waterway, but reappeared near the Indian coast on Monday, confirming its safe navigation through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
• The Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies, has seen a significant decline in ship transits due to the US blockade targeting Iranian-linked tankers, with only 35 large cargo ships passing through in the week of April 20-26 compared to 78 the previous week.
• More than a dozen gas tankers remain trapped inside the Persian Gulf, and Iran has escalated attacks on commercial vessels refusing to pay tolls, contributing to the reduced maritime traffic since the conflict began on February 28.
• Prior to the conflict, approximately 130 ships crossed the Strait daily, predominantly serving Asian markets, highlighting the severe disruption to global energy supply routes caused by the ongoing tensions.