An oil tanker that broke through the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is expected to call at a port in Korea.
According to Reuters on the 20th (local time), the Malta-flagged oil tanker Odessa passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the 13th and is headed for Korea. The vessel is a Suezmax-class tanker that can carry about 1 million barrels and is said to be scheduled to unload at Hyundai Oilbank's refining facilities upon arrival.
According to ship-tracking data firm Kpler and others, the tanker sailed with its automatic identification system (AIS) turned off and was picked up again near the port of Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the 17th. The Odessa was confirmed to be near the Indian coast on the morning of that day and is expected to arrive at Daesan Port at 8 a.m. on the 8th of next month.
Earlier, on Feb. 28, after war broke out following attacks by the United States and Israel, Iran effectively blockaded the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's energy shipments pass, as retaliation. It reopened the strait on the 17th, only to close it again a day later. In response, the United States is pursuing a "reverse blockade" strategy that blocks the movement of Iran-related vessels, heightening tensions in the area.