Pakistan mulls re-flagging ships to use Iran's Hormuz passage deal

Investing.com -- Pakistan is exploring options to utilize Iran's agreement allowing 20 vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, including potentially re-flagging ships from other countries, according to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said over the weekend on X that Iran had permitted the country to take 20 vessels "under the Pakistani flag" through the Hormuz waterway following discussions between Tehran and Islamabad. US President Donald Trump referenced the same arrangement in a newspaper interview.

However, Pakistan does not currently have 20 vessels in the Persian Gulf, the report said. The last of Pakistan National Shipping Corp.'s vessels have already departed the gulf.

Pakistan is now considering taking on other tankers to secure fertilizer, crude or other supplies, and potentially re-flagging them to guarantee the necessary affiliation, according to the report. No final decision has been made.

Kuwait said it would support Pakistan-flagged vessels with supplies of diesel and fuel.

Under the agreement between Pakistan and Iran, two Pakistan-flagged ships can cross the Hormuz each day, Dar said.

The Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to most tanker traffic since the war in the Middle East began a month ago. Pakistan's agreement with Iran makes it the latest Asian nation to negotiate a bilateral deal to secure access to trapped cargoes and tankers, following Malaysia, Thailand and India.

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