Iraqi Supertanker Pulls Back From US Hormuz Blockade 

The Strait of Hormuz remains largely shuttered, with Iran-linked vessels dominating what little traffic is moving across the waterway. An Iraqi supertanker’s rare passage has come to a halt after a retreat from the US naval blockade line.

The Iraqi oil-loaded Agios Fanourios I, which cleared the strait at the weekend, is retracing its route after halting a journey to Vietnam on Monday as it approached the US position. The tanker’s unexplained U-turn underscores the risks to third-party shipping as Washington and Tehran enforce rival restrictions across the strait.