{"text":[[{"start":13.58,"text":"Ships linked to Tehran have made up the vast majority of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz since the US-Iran ceasefire, highlighting the limited resumption of broader commercial flows."}],[{"start":27.32,"text":"At least nine of the roughly 14 vessels to transit the chokepoint since the pause in fighting have Iranian ties, including ships calling at Iranian ports or flying the country’s flag, according to FT analysis."}],[{"start":42.05,"text":"One of the Tehran-linked vessels was a Russian-flagged tanker associated with the “shadow fleet” network that carried Iranian oil despite western sanctions."}],[{"start":54.8,"text":"Despite the ceasefire agreement, Iran has maintained its stranglehold over the critical waterway through which a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil passes. About 900 cargo vessels remain stuck in the Gulf, awaiting further details on the ceasefire and conditions for safe passage."}],[{"start":74.08,"text":"Before the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, about 140 vessels passed through the strait each day."}],[{"start":82.13,"text":"“We’re extremely disappointed that the strait hasn’t been reopened for normal trade,” said Phillip Belcher, marine director at Intertanko, the industry body for independent tanker owners. He called for normal passage to resume for the sake of world trade and the roughly 20,000 seafarers stranded on ships in the Gulf."}],[{"start":102.77,"text":"Following the ceasefire agreement, Tehran said that the Strait of Hormuz was “open” to all commercial shipping, but advised ship operators to contact Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps before attempting the crossing."}],[{"start":117.86999999999999,"text":"The Russian-flagged supertanker Arhimeda, which was proscribed by the US last July for carrying “millions of barrels of Iranian oil”, moved into the Gulf on Thursday evening and on Friday travelled along the Iranian coast. "}],[{"start":133.2,"text":"According to the International Maritime Organization, the Arhimeda reflagged to Russia in January, when many vessels linked to the so-called shadow fleet did the same in an apparent attempt to avoid seizure or boarding by western states."}],[{"start":null,"text":"
"}],[{"start":150.13,"text":"A map, which is believed to be linked to the Revolutionary Guards, has been circulating among shipowners and brokers outlining an inbound and outbound lane for ships to pass through the strait. But its provenance has not been fully confirmed. "}],[{"start":165.78,"text":"Tom Sharpe, a former British naval commander, said that issuing the map would be a “smart play” by the Iranians that “asserts psychological and geographical dominance, improves their situational awareness, provides a degree of safety, deters anyone tempted to make a run for it”. Some shipowners fear that channels in the strait have been mined."}],[{"start":188.72,"text":"Iran’s energy exports union told the FT on Wednesday that Tehran wanted to collect a toll of up to $2mn for tankers passing through the waterway. In practice, not all ships have paid the fee, according to several people with knowledge of their transits."}],[{"start":206.61,"text":"“The thing of charging money is a general statement that we have the right to extract tolls with a view to the future,” said one of the people, who said that some vessels linked to India and Japan had not paid the levy. “Some people are having to pay but those considered friendly to Iran don’t have to pay.”"}],[{"start":226.8,"text":"Japanese shipping group Mitsui OSK Lines sent a liquefied natural gas carrier co-owned with an Omani company across the strait last weekend. A further two Indian-flagged vessels that it owns, which transport liquefied petroleum gas — a crucial commodity for cooking in India that the south Asian country is falling short of — have also passed through. "}],[{"start":250.60000000000002,"text":"The vessels’ ties to Oman and India were critical for securing their passage, according to a person familiar with the matter."}],[{"start":259.25,"text":"The Indian government, which has been in contact with Tehran, said that no money has been paid by New Delhi to Iran for the safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Foreign ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there had been “no such discussion with Iran” over tolls for Indian-flagged or operated vessels."}],[{"start":282.5,"text":"Three Chinese tankers also appeared to be preparing to transit the strait by signalling that they have Chinese crew. The Cospearl Lake, He Rong Hai and Yuan Hua Hu China were all at anchor near the mouth of the vital waterway on Friday while issuing alerts that they had “Chinese Owner & Crew” on board."}],[{"start":304.18,"text":"A further two shadow fleet tankers appeared to be making the crossing, including one that the US sanctioned less than three months ago."}],[{"start":313.17,"text":"The Mab 5, whose Indian owner Vega Star Ship Management was sanctioned last October by the US for operating in Iran’s oil sector, was sailing across the strait on Friday, according to MarineTraffic data."}],[{"start":327.46000000000004,"text":"The Aqua Spirit, proscribed by the US in January for carrying Iranian oil, briefly switched on its transponder on Friday morning near Iran’s Larak Island as it traversed the waterway. While it broadcast a position implying it had departed from Kuwait, oil tracker Kpler listed it as having loaded butane and propane in Iran based on previous behaviour."}],[{"start":353.84000000000003,"text":"Additional reporting by Chris Cook in London"}],[{"start":367.27,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1775891493_8822.mp3"}