The Liberia-flagged Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Serifos and China-flagged VLCCs Cospearl Lake and He Rong Hai transited via a designated passage that bypasses Iran’s Larak Island, according to data from LSEG.

Each vessel has the capacity to carry around 2 million barrels of oil.The Strait of Hormuz, through which about one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies pass, had been effectively blocked by Iran since the outbreak of conflict in late February, contributing to supply disruptions and a sharp rise in oil prices.

Serifos, chartered by Thailand’s state energy firm PTT, is carrying crude loaded from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and is expected to arrive at Malaysia’s Malacca port on April 21, according to LSEG and Kpler data. It is among several vessels for which Malaysia had sought clearance from Iran to transit the strait, sources said.

Cospearl Lake, carrying Iraqi crude, is scheduled to reach Zhoushan port in eastern China on May 1, while the discharge destination for He Rong Hai, which is transporting Saudi oil, remains unclear. Both vessels are chartered by Unipec, the trading arm of Chinese energy major Sinopec.

Shipping data also showed that hundreds of tankers remain stranded in the Gulf awaiting passage during the limited ceasefire window, underscoring continued constraints on maritime traffic.At the same time, three empty tankers Mombasa B, Agios Fanourios I and Shalamar were navigating the strait to enter the Gulf and load crude.

One of them signaled plans to load Basrah oil in Iraq for delivery to Vietnam.Industry sources and companies involved did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The partial resumption of tanker movement highlights the critical role of the Strait of Hormuz in global energy flows and the sensitivity of oil markets to geopolitical developments in the region.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said Washington would not oppose a shipment from Russia or other countries if intended to alleviate shortages. “If a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem whether it’s Russia or not,” he said.

Shipping data cited in reports shows a tanker carrying roughly 730,000 barrels of oil nearing Cuba’s eastern coast, with an expected arrival in Matanzas. The vessel is expected to deliver fuel that could yield about 180,000 barrels of diesel, enough to meet the country’s demand for more than a week.

The tanker, identified as the Anatoly Kolodkin, is under sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union and the United Kingdom following the war in Ukraine.

Trump’s remarks come despite his administration’s intensified efforts to restrict oil flows to Cuba in a bid to pressure its government. He has previously threatened punitive tariffs on third countries supplying oil to the island.

The blockade has contributed to widespread fuel shortages, with reports of prolonged blackouts and disruptions to public transport and healthcare services across Cuba.Cuba has long been a focal point of strategic competition between the United States and Russia.

Trump dismissed suggestions that allowing the shipment would benefit Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying the delivery would have limited impact beyond addressing immediate needs.

He said he would prefer allowing fuel deliveries to ease hardship for civilians, citing the need for electricity, heating and cooling as essential services.