Dynacom Tankers Navigate Danger Despite Official Closure
Four vessels managed by Dynacom Tankers have recently entered the Hormuz Strait, which was recently closed by Iran amid its conflict with US-Israel forces. This brings the total tally of Dynacom’s vessels entering the dangerous marine passageway to five, as roughly 200 non-sanctioned tankers that are compliant with international maritime trade norms have been brought to a halt due to the chaos in the Gulf.
Lloyd’s List explained that the disruption had left these tankers either anchored, berthed at terminals, or slow steaming as operators await clarity on security conditions. Slow steaming is a maritime industry practice in which ships significantly lower their speeds to save fuel and reduce emissions.
Tanker Traffic Down by 90%
Analysis of vessel activity indicates tanker transits are now around 90% lower than last week. Matt Wright, Principal Freight Analyst at Kpler, explains: “Unlike several other vessel segments where movements have largely… slowed down, the tanker market has been severely impacted.” This significant reduction in traffic is a direct result of the ongoing conflict and Iran’s official closure of the Hormuz Strait.
Pola Tanker Goes Dark to Navigate Strait
The Liberian-flagged suezmax crude oil tanker Pola (IMO: 9493767) entered the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, after which it headed to the Jebel Dhanna Port in Abu Dhabi. The non-sanctioned 15,000 dwt tanker went dark—turned off its AIS transponder late on Monday—as it travelled through the Hormuz Strait despite Iran’s official closure. It then reappeared on March 3 off the coast of Abu Dhabi, a Reuters report said, citing LSEG data.
The Pola had been heading to the port of Jebel Dhanna to load Abu Dhabi Murban crude for Thailand, according to two trade sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. The ongoing war between Iran and the US-Israeli forces has massively impacted the flow of energy exports—20 per cent of which go through the Hormuz Strait—amid Tehran’s attacks on vessels and energy facilities in various Middle Eastern countries.
The disruption caused by the conflict is expected to continue, with many tankers either anchored or slow steaming as operators await clarity on security conditions. The situation remains fluid, and further developments are anticipated in the coming days.
Original Article: Iran vs US-Israel forces: 5 Dynacom tankers manage to go through Hormuz Strait despite danger, official closure — Theweek