A Japanese oil tanker arrived in Japan on Monday, becoming the first to transit the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the Iran war, which has left traffic through the vital energy route heavily restricted.
The tanker, operated by a unit of major refiner Idemitsu Kosan Co., brought 2 million barrels of crude, equivalent to about 80 percent of daily domestic demand, to Aichi Prefecture in central Japan, according to sources close to the matter.
Its crew, including three Japanese, is in good health, they said.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a press conference the ship’s arrival in Japan is “pleasant news in terms of securing a stable energy supply.”
After the effective closure of the strait by Iran, the Japanese government asked the country to ensure free and safe passage through the strait for vessels of all countries.
There are still 39 Japan-related vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf, including one with Japanese crew members aboard, said Kihara, the top government spokesman.
“We will continue to proactively make all diplomatic efforts and ensure coordination,” so all vessels can pass through the strait as soon as possible, he added.
According to data from the Automatic Identification System on vessels, the Idemitsu Maru, a Panamanian-flagged ship measuring more than 300 meters, entered the Persian Gulf in late February before the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran.
It loaded crude oil in Saudi Arabia and left in early March after the strait was blocked. Its passage was temporarily halted off the coast of Abu Dhabi, but it passed the Strait of Hormuz on April 28. It did not pay Iran a transit fee, the sources said.
After leaving the Persian Gulf, the vessel passed through waters off India and the Strait of Malacca before arriving in Japan.
An oil tanker of another major Japanese oil company, Eneos Holdings Inc., also passed the Strait of Hormuz in mid-May. It is expected to arrive in Japan sometime between the end of May and early June.
© KYODO
