Reuters reports that 22 ships linked to Japan, including six large tankers, transited the Strait of Hormuz between 16 and 18 Tir…

Reuters has reported that 22 ships linked to Japan, including six large tankers, transited the Strait of Hormuz between 16 and 18 Tir.

It is not entirely clear how this number of Japan-linked vessels managed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz amid the escalation of military tensions. A source from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined to provide details on how the passage of these ships was secured, citing “security considerations.”

However, the spokesperson of the Japan Shipowners’ Association said that the number of Japan-linked ships in the Persian Gulf has fallen from 45 vessels with about 1,100 crew members at the beginning of the fighting to just four ships with about 100 crew members now.

Reuters has also reported, citing shipping data, that at least five empty liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers from Qatar entered the Strait of Hormuz in recent days.