Two Japanese crude tankers are moving east along the Persian Gulf into the Strait of Hormuz, joining a rising number of boats collected at the waterway's entry amid a US-Iran ceasefire, despite President Donald Trump's harsh condemnation and limited transits.
The Mayasan and Yakumosan, both very big ships carrying over 2 million barrels of petroleum, set sail east late Thursday from the waters off Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia, where they had remained since mid-March. The Sea Condor, a Greek-flagged product tanker that loaded in Kuwait, was likewise heading east toward Hormuz.

With hundreds of warships stranded since US and Israeli bombings began at the end of February, some are starting to alter locations around the 1,000-kilometer-long Persian Gulf to get closer to Hormuz. A ceasefire has prompted shipowners to evaluate their options, though most say the situation is still too murky to try an evacuation.
Shipowners are anxious not only about the safety of their crew and cargo, but also about managing Iranian requests to ensure safe passage, including payments that may expose companies to sanctions concerns. Trump, who promised a total opening of Hormuz along with the truce earlier this week, expressed optimism on Thursday, only to later criticise Iran for doing a "very poor" job of allowing oil through.

Traffic through the strait, which increased over the weekend, has subsequently reduced further.
This has not prevented vessels from preparing for a possible crossing. On Thursday, three Chinese VLCCs arrived and gathered near Iran's Qeshm, the island that now functions as a Hormuz transit hub. Two of the ships are related to China's Cosco Shipping Corp., a massive and responsible state-owned company.
The Japanese ships travelling east on Friday are associated with Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd., a significant Japanese shipowner and energy player. While the business evacuated at least one vessel from the gulf prior to this week's truce.

President Jotaro Tamura stated on Thursday that the group would now need to review the contents and implementation of the truce before allowing its tankers to test the Strait of Hormuz.
Mitsui OSK Lines Ltd. manages the two VLCCs, according to the Equasis database. The firm also owns Mayasan, and Phoenix Ocean Corp., which owns Yakumosan, shares MOL's address. MOL stated that it could not comment on "the navigation status or operational measures of individual vessels," and that its first priority was the safety of seafarers, cargo, and vessels.

Mayasan sailed into the Gulf a few days before the war began on February 28, according to ship tracking data. It purchased crude from the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in late February. It indicates Tomakomai, a port in northern Japan, as the destination.
Yakumosan entered the Gulf in late February and received a shipment of Qatari petroleum from a floating storage vessel in early March. It subsequently hauled another load from Saudi Arabia's Juaymah before resting for a few weeks off Ras Tanura. It has designated a mustering location off Das Island in the United Arab Emirates as its objective.

Sea Condor, a Greek-flagged ship, also entered the Gulf at the same time and picked up Kuwaiti petroleum in early March. Turandot Marine Co. owns it, and its contact information is the same as Pantheon Tankers Management's in Athens. Pantheon did not respond to an emailed request for comment given after office hours. It's travelling to Sharjah.