FIRST NON-IRANIAN TANKER CROSSES THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ. Here are the key details: Carrying Abu Dhabi's crude oil, the Aframax tanker Karachi successfully transited the Strait of Hormuz today without being targeted by Iran. This appears to be linked to a policy Iran announced earlier. According to reports, the following countries have been granted permission to transit the Strait: 1. China 2. India 3. Pakistan 4. Turkey Because the tanker was Pakistani, it was allowed to pass safely. There’s another interesting takeaway from this development: If naval mines had been widely deployed in the Strait, ships would be avoiding the route entirely. The fact that a tanker was able to pass through suggests that large-scale mine deployment may not have happened (at least not yet). For now, the Strait appears partially controlled rather than fully closed.