KUALA LUMPUR — An oil tanker chartered by Petronas has passed through the Strait of Hormuz close to the Iranian coast, and is bound for Pengerang port in Johor.
The Ocean Thunder, chartered by the national oil company’s subsidiary Petco, is carrying about 1 million barrels of Iraqi crude oil.
According to MarineTraffic.com, Ocean Thunder is a Panama-registered vessel. It departed Iraq’s Basra Port on about a month ago, on March 3.
Reuters reported the tanker’s passage through the Strait of Hormuz last night, a day after Iran said Iraq was allowed to transit the waterway without any restrictions.
Citing data from Kplr, a maritime data and analytics firm, Reuters said the tanker had been loaded on March 2, and is scheduled to offload in Pengerang around mid-April.
Reuters said it is believed that Ocean Thunder is one of seven Malaysian-linked vessels that have received clearance from Iran to pass through the strait which it controls.
On March 26, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said seven Malaysian ships had been authorised to transit through the strait following diplomatic talks with Iran. The Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil supply, has been closed since the US and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in late February.
Last week, Iran announced toll charges and restrictions on certain ships – from the US, Israel and countries supporting them – to pass the waterway.
Meanwhile, Bernama reports that 15 ships have passed the strait over the past 24 hours after obtaining permission from Iran.
Iranian media said ship traffic through the strait remains 90 per cent lower than before the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February. – April 6, 2026