PETALING JAYA: Five Iran-linked tankers headed to Malaysia from the Gulf of Oman turned around after the United States warned it may intercept ships suspected of carrying Iranian oil in international waters, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported.
The report, citing List Intelligence, said that the Iran-flagged Suezmax Kariz, loaded with about one million barrels of crude, changed course off Sri Lanka early last Friday (April 17) after initially heading towards Malaysia and Singapore.
Another vessel carrying roughly two million barrels of oil, called the Andromeda also diverted in the Indian Ocean.
Meanwhile, two empty tankers — Amak and Elisabet — also turned back near the Strait of Hormuz after nearing US Navy vessels, the report stated.
Aside from Kariz, the report did not identify the flags under which the four other vessels were sailing.
One of seven Malaysian-owned vessels travelling from the Strait of Hormuz, known as the Ocean Thunder, arrived in Malaysia on April 18 carrying one million barrels of crude oil from Basrah, Iraq.
PETRONAS said the shipment was part of its extensive supply network and one of its ongoing efforts to ensure the country’s fuel supply remains stable.
Reuters reported that the second of the seven vessels, Liberia-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Serifos, entered and exited the Hormuz Passage trial anchorage that bypasses Iran's Larak Island on April 10. The tanker, carrying crude loaded from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in early March, is expected to arrive at Malaysia's Melaka port on April 21.
Since the United States imposed a blockade on Iranian ports and coastal areas, 23 ships have complied with US forces orders to turn back toward Iran, the US military said on Saturday (April 18).
