Shell Tanker Speeds Through Hormuz Strait to South Korea in International Shipping News 01/03/2026 Amid heightened tensions in the Middle East following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on Iran, a very large crude carrier (VLCC) chartered by global energy giant Shell is reportedly passing through the Strait of Hormuz at maximum speed en route to South Korea, The Wall Street Journal, WSJ, reported on the 28th. Iran has not yet blocked the Strait of Hormuz. However, since the attack on Iran, dozens of tankers have exercised caution in their operations, either diverting routes in the Persian Gulf or waiting at the strait’s entrance. Three Shell tankers initially planning to cross the Strait of Hormuz have also halted operations and are waiting in the Persian Gulf and nearby waters off Iraq. However, one Shell-chartered tanker bound for South Korea is maintaining its scheduled route and swiftly passing through the strait. According to Bloomberg, as of 7:30 p.m. Korea Time on that day, at least 17 vessels were transiting the waterway. The Strait of Hormuz, located between Iran, the United Arab Emirates, UAE, and Oman, is a critical maritime route for global shipping. It handles 25% of the world’s traded crude oil and 20% of liquefied natural gas, LNG. Most crude oil produced in Gulf oil-producing countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, is exported via the strait. While passage remains possible, escalating military tensions have raised market concerns over potential insurance premium hikes due to operational disruptions and increased volatility in freight rates. South Korea, highly dependent on Middle Eastern crude, is closely monitoring the strait’s navigability. The impact on oil transportation schedules and global energy markets will depend on whether military conflicts spread. Source: Chosunbiz 2026-03-01 hellenicshippingnews... window.___gcfg = {lang: 'en-US'}; (function(w, d, s) { function go(){ var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0], load = function(url, id) { if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;} js = d.createElement(s); js.src = url; js.id = id; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }; load('//connect.facebook.net/en/all.js#xfbml=1', 'fbjssdk'); load('https://apis.google.com/js/plusone.js', 'gplus1js'); load('//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js', 'tweetjs'); } if (w.addEventListener) { w.addEventListener("load", go, false); } else if (w.attachEvent) { w.attachEvent("onload",go); } }(window, document, 'script')); tweet Share