Indian-flagged crude tanker turns back from Strait of Hormuz after vessel attacks: Report

At least four oil and gas tankers have turned back from the Strait of Hormuz after renewed attacks on vessels in the strategically vital waterway heightened security concerns, according to ship-tracking data. Among them is the Indian-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Lila Vadinar, carrying 2 million barrels of Kuwaiti crude, which made a U-turn off the coast of Oman on Wednesday instead of entering the strait, reported Reuters.

Previously, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd has cancelled a vessel charter it had booked for loading ‌crude ⁠oil ⁠from Iraq, two shipping sources told Reuters.

Also Read: Why Hormuz windfall may prove short-lived for oil refiners


The diversions come after a Qatari liquefied natural gas tanker and a Saudi-flagged crude oil tanker were damaged near the strait on Tuesday following reports that Iran fired missiles at ships in the waterway, prompting maritime authorities to raise the threat risk for transiting vessels ‌to "severe."

The LNG tankers Al ⁠Ghariya, ⁠Duhail and Al Ruwais were inching westward towards the Strait of Hormuz before changing course to turn away late on Tuesday, data from analytics firms Kpler and LSEG showed. All three tankers controlled by QatarEnergy were empty and heading towards Qatar's Ras Laffan export facility to load cargoes.

Almost 40% of India’s crude imports, 60% of its LNG shipments and 90% of LPG inflows passed through Hormuz before the war began.

'Ceasefire over'

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said the ceasefire with Iran was "over" but left the door open to more talks, after fighting flared sparked by Iranian attacks on ships in the vital Strait of Hormuz.

The strategic shipping route remains a flashpoint in the conflict, which began in late February with massive US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

Tehran insists on controlling the waterway, saying it will charge fees for passage and threatening to hit vessels that deviate from its authorised route.

Its military has struck at least three ships in recent days, prompting extensive US strikes against Iranian targets Tuesday followed by retaliatory attacks from Iran on Gulf countries.

"As far as I'm concerned, it's over," Trump said at a NATO summit in Turkey on Wednesday when asked if the truce was intact.

"It's just a waste of time dealing with them," he added.

"I'll let our wonderful negotiators keep talking if they want, but I don't see it. I don't like these people."

Oil prices immediately jumped five percent after Trump's remarks, having already reached their highest level in two weeks.