Will other tankers try the crossing?
Today, reacting to Iran’s efforts to close the vital waterways of the Strait of Hormuz, US President Donald J. Trump urged the shipping companies to ‘show some guts’ and defy the mullahs’ prohibition.
And that’s exactly what apparently happened to a Greek-operated ship holding a million barrels of Saudi crude.
Apparently, the tanker sailed through the Strait of Hormuz in recent days, as one of the first large vessels to leave the Persian Gulf.
One tanker made the move. Now the whole market is watching.
Carrying one million barrels of Saudi crude to India, the Greek-operated Shenlong recently passed through Hormuz. It doesn’t mean the route is fully open—but it shows how a single ship can grab attention across markets,… pic.twitter.com/VV2UeHBvyt
— The Maritime (@themaritimenet) March 9, 2026
Bloomberg reported:
“The Shenlong tanker, which is operated by Greece’s Dynacom Tankers Management Ltd., switched off its transponder in the Persian Gulf on March 4 while sailing toward Hormuz and began signaling near India’s coastline on Monday morning, according to ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg.
Traders have been closely looking for any sign that ship traffic is beginning to move through Hormuz. US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said in an interview with Fox News over the weekend that a tanker had made the journey through.”
UPDATE: One of the Suezmax tankers has now appeared back on AIS, and is approaching Mumbai, India with a million barrels of Saudi crude oil. Her name is SHENLONG (9379210). There are still a few more which may appear on AIS given that at least one of them is heading to China. pic.twitter.com/MFqnjpkuCe
— TankerTrackers.com, Inc. (@TankerTrackers) March 9, 2026
Reuters reported:
“The Shenlong Suezmax, with a capacity of 1 million barrels, is carrying Saudi Arabian crude loaded at the port of Ras Tanura and is listing its destination as the Indian port of Mumbai, according to analysis from maritime data platforms Kpler, Lloyd’s List Intelligence, and MarineTraffic.
[…] Hundreds of ships remain anchored on both sides of the waterway as oil and shipping markets watch for any sign that sailings might pick up through the narrow corridor, which handles a large share of global crude flows.
A senior official with Iran’s Revolutionary Guards has said the strait is closed and Iran will fire on any ship trying to pass, Iranian media reported last week.”
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