ISTANBUL/LONDON, June 19 — Three Saudi oil supertankers have reappeared outside the Strait of Hormuz after last being spotted in the Gulf two months ago, as commercial vessel movements through the key energy chokepoint draw renewed attention following a US-Iran agreement.

According to Anadolu Ajansi (AA), the vessels, identified as Awtad, Jaham and Shaden, had not been sending signals since then.

According to data analytics company Kpler, the tanker Awtad, loaded with 2 million barrels of Saudi crude oil, passed through the Strait of Hormuz and exited the Gulf. The tanker is heading to South Korea.

Two other Saudi tankers, Shaden and Jaham, are believed to be carrying Saudi crude oil and are estimated to have passed through the strait with their signals switched off. The two tankers are currently located in the Gulf of Oman.

The tanker Viraj, carrying around 27,500 barrels of contaminated petroleum products from Iran’s Bandar Imam Khomeini port, also passed through the Strait of Hormuz and is heading towards the United Arab Emirates.

The movements come after an agreement was reached between the US and Iran, which includes a 60-day negotiation period towards a final deal. Under the 14-point agreement, Iran will make “all possible efforts and arrangements” to ensure commercial vessels can pass between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman safely and free of charge for 60 days.

Commercial ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been sharply disrupted since Feb 28 amid the US/Israel-Iran war.

Before the conflict, an average of around 130 ships passed through the strait daily. That figure has since fallen by more than 90 per cent, according to calculations by an Anadolu correspondent.

Around 1,000 commercial vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the 100 days of the war, corresponding to an average of about 10 vessels per day.

Most commercial vessels passing through the strait either follow the designated “Iranian route” within Iranian territorial waters or switch off their automatic identification system, known as AIS, while transiting the waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran and Oman, is one of the world’s most important energy routes, linking crude and fuel shipments from Gulf producers to global markets. — Bernama-Anadolu