French FM Barrot to tour Persian gulf to promote Franco-British maritime security initiative.

On Tuesday, the Insurance Journal reported that Panama-flagged tanker Idemitsu Maru, carrying 2 million barrels of Saudi oil, crossed the Strait of Hormuz.

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According to shipping data from the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), the Idemitsu Maru (IMO 9334210) is the first Japan-linked crude tanker to do so since the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran began on Feb. 28.

“The move comes as Japan’s recent diplomatic efforts to safeguard energy supplies were disrupted by the war,” the Insurance Journal recalled.

“Idemitsu Maru, a very large crude carrier (VLCC), is managed by a unit of Japanese refiner Idemitsu Kosan,” it added.

On Wednesday, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot will begin a trip to four Persian Gulf countries. He will seek to promote the Franco-British initiative to restore free navigation through the Strait of Hormuz once the United States and Iran lift their blockades.

Barrot will begin his tour in Saudi Arabia and will then continue with stops in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, ending Friday in Oman.

The Franco-British initiative emerged from a meeting held in Paris on April 17 that involved about 50 countries, of which around a dozen pledged military assets.

Since then, work has progressed to define that multinational defensive mission, which, however, can only be activated once the situation has stabilized, implying that the dual blockade is lifted.

teleSUR/ JF

Sources: Insurance Review – HispanTV

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