Two supertankers with Chinese connections abruptly reversed course in the Strait of Hormuz this week, a sign that shipping risks through the vital waterway remain far from settling down. The Sea V, carrying crude oil out of Iraq, was making its way toward Hormuz from the Persian Gulf on Tuesday when it suddenly turned around. Ship-tracking data cited by Bloomberg reportedly shows the vessel is now idling in the middle of the strait. A second tanker, the Hestia, entered the gulf along the Omani coast early Wednesday before also reversing and heading back out. Neither company nor tracking data has offered a clear explanation for why either ship changed course.
