Four Ships, Including Indian Vessel, Cross Strait of Hormuz via New Route

Four ships, including an Indian vessel, have crossed the strategically important Strait of Hormuz using a newly established shipping route. Amid rising regional tensions, this route is being considered relatively safer and is offering new hope for global trade.

According to a report by NDTV on Saturday (April 4), the new route avoids international waters and passes through the territorial waters of Oman. The vessels that used this route include two Marshall Islands-flagged supertankers, Habrut and Dhalqut, the Panama-flagged LNG carrier Sohar, and the Indian-flagged cargo ship MSV Cuba MNV 2183.

The report states that the ships entered Omani waters from near the coast of the United Arab Emirates and switched off their Automatic Identification System (AIS) signals near the Musandam Peninsula. They were later detected about 350 kilometers off the coast of Muscat. The tankers Habrut and Dhalqut were carrying around 2 million barrels of crude oil each from Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Experts believe that recent tensions, including Iran’s control and reported attacks, had disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Nearly one-fifth of the world’s energy supply passes through this route, making any disruption highly impactful on global markets.

The report also notes that amid the crisis, Iran has introduced an alternative route through its own territorial waters, passing between Qeshm and Larak islands. However, ships using this route are reportedly required to obtain special permission and pay fees based on the volume of oil carried.

Experts say the new route could play a crucial role in stabilizing global shipping security and ensuring uninterrupted energy supply.