Iraqi Oil Supertanker Agios Fanourios I Halts Near US Naval Blockade — Turns Back Before Vietnam Voyage — Day 74

Bloomberg reported on May 12, 2026 (Day 74) that the Iraqi oil supertanker Agios Fanourios I — which had successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend — halted its voyage toward Vietnam upon approaching the US naval blockade position in the Arabian Sea. The vessel turned back rather than risk interdiction, illustrating that even vessels that successfully exit the strait face continued economic disruption from the US blockade of Iranian ports and enforcement operations. Iraq has been among the Gulf states most affected by the tanker crisis, with its export terminals having faced Iranian attacks earlier in the conflict. Shipping crossings through the Strait of Hormuz remained down more than 90% from pre-war averages. Iran's position in negotiations was to lift Hormuz restrictions in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade on Iranian ports — a swap the US has rejected. Kuwait's supertanker incident and the Iraqi ship turnaround underscored that Hormuz-related economic disruption affected neutral parties as much as the belligerents.