(March 17): A Hong Kong-owned bulk carrier has just entered the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, a rare occurrence at a time when only a handful of vessels are safely transiting the waterway, most of them with Iran’s approval.
The Jia Xiang Da, a small-sized bulk carrier, approached the chokepoint from the Gulf of Oman late Monday, and traversed westwards into the Persian Gulf, ship-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg News show. By Tuesday morning, the ship was seen near the Iranian coast, heading in the direction of Kish Island and signalling it is due to reach Iraq’s Umm Qasr port by Wednesday. Draft readings indicate that the vessel is empty.
Transit through the strait has been closely monitored since US and Israeli attacks began just over two weeks ago, prompting Iran to retaliate with attacks that have effectively closed the narrow waterway. Iranian, Chinese and a handful of other vessels have made the trip since — but they represent just a fraction of the usual traffic.
The carrier, which plies the route between China and the Middle East, is Panama-flagged but owned and managed by Hong Kong-based Jia Xiang Da Shipping Co Ltd, according to maritime database Equasis. The company did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Commodity traders and the global shipping community are closely tracking the ability of countries including China to dispatch ships through the strait. India and Türkiye are among the countries that have sought to negotiate safe passage.
Though Hormuz negotiations between Tehran and Beijing have not been confirmed officially, ships in recent days have signalled Chinese ownership as they attempted to cross through the narrow corridor.
See also: Trump demands help to secure Strait of Hormuz, threatens more strikes on Iran's Kharg Island
Jia Xiang Da appears to be just the second vessel linked to China to have been observed entering the Persian Gulf since the war began. Hours after the war broke out, another small bulk carrier owned by a Shanghai company was seen inside the gulf, after last signalling that it was in the Gulf of Oman.
Uploaded by Liza Shireen Koshy
