A liquefied petroleum gas carrier affiliated with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines has become the second Japan-linked vessel to navigate the Strait of Hormuz under a de facto blockade, it was learned Saturday.

Following U.S.-Israel military strikes, Iran has effectively halted maritime traffic in the key waterway which is a critical route for global crude oil and gas.

The ship is the Indian-flagged LPG tanker Green Sanvi, owned by an Indian affiliate of Mitsui O.S.K., according to the Japanese company. The vessel is on its way to India after leaving the Persian Gulf.

¡°We¡¯ve confirmed the safety of the crew, cargo and hull,¡± a Mitsui O.S.K. official said.

The LPG tanker was among the 45 Japan-linked vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the blockade of the key oil transit chokepoint amid the 51³Ô¹ÏÍø.

On Friday, a liquefied natural gas ship jointly owned by Mitsui O.S.K. Lines and an Omani company, which was also among the 45 ships, passed through the strait.

The successive passage of Mitsui O.S.K.-linked vessels may be attributable to factors such as their flags and cargo, rather than their affiliation with the company, a shipping industry source said.

Currently, 43 Japan-related ships remain in the Persian Gulf, including 12 crude oil tankers. On Monday, the Japanese government said that four of the 24 Japanese crew members on stranded Japan-linked vessels had disembarked and returned to Japan.

New Delhi, which is the world¡¯s second-largest buyer of liquefied petroleum gas, has managed to secure passage for several Indian-flagged vessels over the last three weeks.

Public broadcaster All India Radio said it was the ¡°seventh India-bound LPG tanker¡± to cross the Strait of Hormuz since the Middle East war began.

India imports about 60% of its LPG needs and has been grappling with a gas crunch over the last month.

The Indian government has imposed tighter controls over natural and cooking gas following import disruptions ¡ª prioritising supply toward households and limiting the amount available for industrial use.

New Delhi maintains strong relations with Tehran but has steadily expanded cooperation with Israel in defense, agriculture, technology and cybersecurity.

India¡¯s petroleum and natural gas ministry also said on Saturday that Indian refiners were buying crude oil from Iran and other nations to help deal with the global energy crisis.

¡°Amid Middle East supply disruptions, Indian refiners have secured their crude oil requirements, including from Iran,¡± it said in a post on X, adding that there was ¡°no payment hurdle for Iranian crude imports.¡±

That comes about two weeks after the U.S. Treasury said it was temporarily lifting sanctions on Iranian oil already loaded onto vessels.