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Situation around the Strait of Hormuz

Over 20 ships cross Strait of Hormuz on April 18 — Reuters

Many of the ships are loaded with energy products from Persian Gulf countries

LONDON, April 20. /TASS/. More than 20 vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on April 18, setting a record since March 1, Reuters reported, citing data from analytics company Kpler.

At least five ships were loaded in Iran, including with petroleum products and metals, according to the company. Three of them are carrying liquefied natural gas (LNG), one is bound for China, and another is bound for India. Many of the ships are loaded with energy products from Persian Gulf countries, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain.

One tanker each carrying oil from Bahrain is heading toward Thailand and Mozambique, while another is transporting LNG from the UAE to Indonesia. Two other tankers are sailing under the Liberian flag: one is transporting around 500,000 barrels of naphtha from the UAE to the Republic of Korea, and the other is carrying 2 mln barrels of oil from Saudi Arabia to Taiwan. An Indian-flagged tanker loaded with approximately 780,000 barrels of oil from the UAE is heading toward Sri Lanka.

Among the vessels named by Kpler are also a bulk carrier carrying petroleum coke from Saudi Arabia bound for Italy, and a ship carrying fertilizers from Qatar bound for the UAE.

Earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced the opening of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping. US President Donald Trump stated that Washington would continue its naval blockade of the Islamic Republic until the parties reached a final agreement.

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