Malaysian ship secures safe transit through Hormuz

A Malaysian vessel has secured safe transit through the Strait of Hormuz and is currently proceeding to its final destination, Malaysia's foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Iran effectively closed the vital sea route, a corridor that carries a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows, in response to US and Israeli airstrikes that began in late February.

Malaysia's foreign ministry confirmed in a statement that one of seven Malaysian-owned commercial vessels stranded in the Strait due to the Iran war was granted safe passage.

The ministry did not name the vessel, say whether it was carrying cargo, or specify its final destination.

"This positive outcome follows high-level diplomatic engagements," including a phone call between Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian late last month, the ministry said.

The Iranian embassy in Kuala Lumpur had earlier said in a social media post on Monday that the first Malaysian ship had passed through Hormuz.
LSEG and Kpler data showed the Ocean Thunder oil tanker, chartered by Petco, a unit of Malaysian state energy firm Petronas, passed through the strait close to the Iranian coast, carrying Iraqi crude.

The tanker was loaded with about 1 million barrels of Basrah Heavy crude on March 2 and is expected to discharge its cargo in Malaysia's Pengerang in mid-April, Kpler data showed.