"Desha" is the first gas tanker to cross the Strait of Hormuz after the US-Iran framework agreement
Ship-tracking data released by Kepler and the London Stock Exchange Group showed that the liquefied natural gas tanker DISHA crossed the Strait of Hormuz, the first gas tanker to cross the waterway since the framework agreement between the administration of US President Donald Trump and Iran.
The tanker , which flies the flag of Malta and is owned, managed and traded by Asian shipping companies including Japan's Mitsui OSK Lines and works for India's Petront LNG, had shipped its cargo from Qatar's Ras Laffan port on March 1 and 2, 2026, coinciding with the outbreak of the war, and has been parked in the Gulf west of the Strait since then.
The platform concerned with the movement of tankers confirmed that "Disha later appeared in the Gulf of Oman heading east to deliver its cargo to the Dahej terminal in India", without recording any similar transit movement of other gas tankers through the strait since this morning.
Iranian Mine Fears and Trump's Volatility
While the political agreement has been welcomed internationally, the lack of enthusiasm of other carriers to cross the strait reflects extreme caution on the part of global shipping companies that are looking for more accurate information and clear operational details.
According to the concerned sources, the concerns of international actors are not only related to the issue of the removal of sea mines, which have been frequently reported to be deployed in the strait, but also extend to the nature of US President Donald Trump's decisions, which observers describe as changing under the circumstances of the war and its sudden repercussions.
Kepler's data revealed that about 155 oil and chemical tankers were still stranded in the Gulf region and the Strait of Hormuz as of Monday, a figure that records a relative decrease compared to the end of last May, when the number of tankers stuck at the time reached 201 tankers (or 215 tankers according to Oil Brokerage's estimates).
Anoop Singh, head of global shipping research at Oil Brokerage, predicted that freedom of navigation in the strait will gradually increase in the coming weeks until the shipping industry regains its confidence. Until that point is reached, effective freight rates and costs will remain high and trade is slow, Singh said, adding that if freedom of navigation is declared and restrictions are completely lifted, the current traffic congestion on both sides of the waterway can be solved within 8 to 10 days.
Japan's shipping industry awaits signing of agreement
On the international stance of companies, a spokesman for the Japan Shipowners' Association welcomed the U.S.-Iran deal on Monday, but bluntly stressed: "We would like to wait until we get more accurate information when the agreement is signed on June 19."
The spokesman added that the reports of the mine situation were hindering direct movement, adding: "We cannot simply say, 'OK, let's get started, based on the news of the agreement alone.'"
Nippon Yusen, Japan's largest shipping company, said it hoped shipping operations would return to normal as soon as possible, saying it was too early to comment on the schedules of its Japan-linked ships currently stranded in the Gulf.
The United States and Iran will formally sign a memorandum of understanding next Friday in Switzerland, which will outline practical steps and security arrangements for the full resumption of commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, noting that previous navigational data from June 11 had monitored the departure of three other LNG tankers from the strait after turning off their transceivers heading to Asia.