Earlier this week, a Pakistani tanker became the latest vessel to depart the Strait of Hormuz by sailing close to Iran's coastline. This navigation pattern suggests the existence of an "authorized passage," indicating Tehran's tightening control over the narrow waterway—despite U.S. efforts to exert influence in the region.
Ship-tracking data showed that the Karachi, a tanker flying the Pakistani flag, publicly signaled on Sunday that it was transiting through this strategic chokepoint. The vessel sailed through the narrow channel between Iran's Larak and Qeshm islands before proceeding along the Iranian coast toward the Gulf of Oman. Early Monday, two bulk carriers that had previously docked at Iranian ports followed the same route, broadcasting their positions as they continued their voyages. In contrast, other ships have preferred to disable their transponders due to security concerns.
In the early hours of Saturday, two liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers flying the Indian flag also departed the strait. On Tuesday, a general cargo ship under the flag of Gambia also exited the Hormuz. Sporadic signals placed these three vessels near Larak, but due to electronic interference in the area, their transmitted data was scrambled, making it impossible to confirm their full routes.
Harrison Prétat, deputy director and fellow at the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), noted that if this route continues to be used successfully, it may indicate that Iran is implementing a form of traffic control system. It could also suggest that Tehran may attack or mine vessels along the traditional shipping lane while keeping a clear path open for "friendly" tankers on the other side.
Prétat stated, "So far, the use of this route appears linked to Iran's 'clearance' for specific vessels to pass through the strait—which makes sense to some extent, as Iranian authorities can more easily monitor this area."
Since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes more than two weeks ago, Iran has attacked multiple ships in and around the strait, nearly completely blocking the passage. This has left some vessels stranded inside the Persian Gulf, while others have been unable to enter—causing unprecedented disruptions to energy trade and triggering supply shortages and price spikes across Asia and beyond.
The ongoing turmoil has prompted several countries to seek safe passage assurances from Tehran to ensure at least "a small volume of cargo" can be shipped. Officials from India and Turkey have stated that their vessels have received clearance. Pakistan has not yet commented on the specifics of its ship's recent voyage.
Analysts including Natasha Kaneva from J.P. Morgan noted in a report that a mechanism is emerging: although the strait has not been formally closed, transit is increasingly dependent on political-level understandings with Tehran.
Under normal circumstances, sailing so close to Iran is uncommon due to higher security risks. Navigation rules in the region also mean that the conventional route for vessels exiting the strait lies closer to the opposite side of the waterway. However, at least one cargo ship was attacked last week while traveling along the traditional path.
India is currently attempting to secure safe passage for six additional tankers that remain stranded in the Persian Gulf, though it is unclear which route these vessels will take when they depart.
Martin Kelly, head of advisory at EOS Risk Group, said, "We may be witnessing Iran initiating a verification process: ships must receive authorization to transit the Strait of Hormuz via the passage between Larak and Qeshm islands."
These authorized transit cases offer some encouragement to oil traders, but insurers and banks financing commodity trade still face challenges due to the route's proximity to Iran. Insurers often specify high-risk zones in policy terms, and some banks alert their compliance teams when vessels they finance sail significantly close to Iran.
More importantly, the number of vessels currently able to transit remains only a fraction of normal traffic levels.
"A limited number of authorized transits are far from sufficient to restore the full scale of normal traffic or energy flows in the region," said Prétat of CSIS.
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