Three Omani-owned tankers appear to have crossed the Strait of Hormuz by following a route along Oman’s coastline, indicating an alternative path compared to the northern route through Iranian waters.

The two oil supertankers, Dhalkut and Habrut, along with the LNG carrier Sohar LNG, headed east toward the strait on Thursday, according to satellite tracking signals.

All three vessels are managed by Oman Ship Management Company, according to the shipping database Equasis.

A new route instead of the Iranian one

Since the start of the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz has been nearly blocked, with Iran allowing limited passage only to ships from “friendly” countries via a designated northern route within its own waters.

Recently, a French-owned container ship used this route, marking the first known passage of a Western European vessel since the war began.

However, the new course followed by the Omani ships lies further south, outside the traditional shipping lanes.

Diplomatic moves and control

Iran’s IRNA news agency reported that Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi stated that Tehran is working on a protocol with Oman to monitor navigation in the strait.

Oman’s stance on this cooperation remains unclear.