Two container ships linked to Chinese state-owned enterprise COSCO Shipping Group passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the 30th, departing from the Persian Gulf. This marks the first time since the outbreak of the Iran conflict that vessels operated by major Beijing-backed enterprises have transited this waterway.
According to vessel tracking data compiled by Bloomberg News, the "COSCO India Ocean" and "COSCO Arctic Ocean" set off eastward from the Persian Gulf that morning, passing through the strait.
The two vessels departed from waters near Dubai, heading toward a channel between Iran’s Larak Island and Qeshm Island (the largest island in Iran). This area is close to the narrow exit of the Strait of Hormuz, after which the two ships entered the Gulf of Oman.
Based on their draft levels, it appears the ships were only carrying empty containers and did not bear other cargo. According to the website of COSCO Shipping Lines, a subsidiary of COSCO Shipping Group, both vessels are listed as members of the company’s fleet.
In retaliation for US and Israeli airstrikes, Iran has cut off the Strait of Hormuz, a global trade lifeline. Currently, only a handful of vessels approved by Tehran are allowed to pass, including liquefied petroleum gas carriers.
On Monday, both ships broadcast signals indicating that both the owners and crews were Chinese, to ensure safe passage through the waterway. When the two ships turned around near Iran on the 27th, the same measures were taken. It remains unclear why the vessels did not leave the gulf at the time but chose to turn back instead.
Each of the two cargo ships can carry about 19,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU). Since the outbreak of war launched by the US and Israel against Iran, they have been stranded in the Persian Gulf for over a month.