Pakistan-bound tanker exits Strait of Hormuz with Kuwait diesel: report

A Pakistani tanker laden with diesel from Kuwait was seen transiting out of the Strait of Hormuz, a rare event in the blockaded waterway, reported Bloomberg. The tanker, the Khairpur, commenced its journey on Thursday along the Tehran-approved northern route near Qeshm and Larak islands, reported Bloomberg, citing its vessel-tracking data. The vessel, operated by Khairpur Shipping Private Limited, is moving towards Pakistan’s port city of Karachi and is expected to arrive on May 4. The Khairpur tanker was loaded with about 511, 000 barrels of diesel at Kuwait’s Mina Al Ahmadi port, according to data from intelligence firm Kpler, read the report. Last month, Pakistani-flagged tanker Shalamar exited the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz carrying crude loaded from the United Arab Emirates. The Aframax tanker exited the waterway laden with about 440, 000 barrels of Abu Dhabi’s Das Blend crude. Meanwhile, global oil prices ​have been on the rise since the end of February when the ​US and Israel attacked Iran, resulting in the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the disruption of shipments of around one-fifth of the world’s oil ​and liquefied natural gas supply. Brent gained 50% in March alone. A ceasefire ​has been in place since April 8, but on Thursday evening, Iranian Foreign Ministry ‌spokesman Esmaeil ⁠Baghaei said it was not reasonable to expect quick results from US talks, according to the official IRNA news agency. “Expecting to reach a result in a short time, regardless of who the mediator is, in my opinion, ​is not very ⁠realistic, ” he was quoted as saying. US President Donald Trump was scheduled to receive a briefing on Thursday on plans for ⁠a series ​of fresh military strikes on Iran ​to compel it to negotiate an end to the conflict, a US official told Reuters.

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