Malaysian Support Vessel Transits Strait of Hormuz Amid Iran Tensions

A support vessel owned by Malaysian firm Vantris Energy, formerly Sapura Energy, has successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz, LSEG shipping data showed on Friday.

This marks the fourth Malaysian-linked ship to navigate the crucial waterway since the US-Iran conflict began in late February, severely impacting global energy supplies.

The Sapura 1200 was one of seven vessels for which the Malaysian government sought Iranian permission to clear the strait, largely restricted since the conflict's outbreak, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

LSEG data indicated the ship hugged the Iranian coastline en route to Oman's Muscat port. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced in March that Iran would allow Malaysian vessels passage after diplomatic talks.

Other vessels Malaysia sought clearance for include those from Vantris, shipping giant MISC Berhad, and state energy firm Petronas.

The Liberian-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Serifos, another Malaysian-linked ship, exited the strait on 10 April.

The tanker, carrying ⁠crude loaded from ​Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in early March, discharged its cargo at Malaysia's Malacca port on 30 April.

Another VLCC, Ocean ​Thunder, loaded with Iraqi crude and chartered by a unit of Petronas, passed through the strait on April 5 and discharged its cargo of 1 million barrels of Basrah Heavy crude at Malaysia's Pengerang on April 18.

A third vessel Mihzem, carrying Qatari liquefied natural gas and managed by an MISC unit, transited the waterway on Tuesday, becoming the second such cargo to cross under an arrangement involving Iran and Pakistan.

Two other MISC ships remain stuck in the Gulf, according to the sources and shipping data.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump has suggested that he threw away Iran’s peace proposal after reading the “unacceptable” first sentence as diplomatic efforts to end the war reached a stalemate.

Speaking onboard Air Force One on his journey back to the US from China, the US president said he had “looked at” Tehran’s response to a peace plan drawn up by Washington but “if I don’t like the first sentence I just throw it away”.

Pressed on the content of the document, he told reporters it was “an unacceptable sentence”, adding: “If they have nuclear in any form, I don’t read the rest.”

His comments came after Iran’s foreign minister declared he has “no trust” in the Trump administration to help bring about a peace deal, but that the US were seeking fresh negotiations.