First Pakistan-bound container vessel reaches Karachi after Strait of Hormuz reopening
First container vessel, MV SELEN, arrives at Karachi Port after reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Photo: Express
The vessel MV SELEN arrived at Karachi Port on Saturday, becoming the first Pakistan-bound vessel to do so following the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz after more than a month of disruption caused by conflict in the Middle East.
In a statement, the Karachi Port Trust (KPT) said: “MV SELEN, operated by NLC (AP Line), has berthed at Karachi Port, marking the first Pakistan-bound container vessel arrival following recent disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.”
It added that the vessel, arriving from Jebel Ali, signalled the resumption of containerised trade and reinforced confidence in maritime supply chains.
Read: First Pakistani vessel carrying oil shipment arrives via Strait of Hormuz
The KPT said the development reflected effective coordination among port, shipping and logistics stakeholders to sustain cargo operations.
Although the Strait of Hormuz had remained disrupted since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, Pakistan continued to receive oil shipments, the first of which arrived on March 18. It also facilitated the passage of other shipments, with its flagged carriers operating under arrangements with Iran, allowing containers to transit through the strait.
Meanwhile, as talks between Iran and the US began in Islamabad under Pakistan’s mediation, President Donald Trump said US forces had begun clearing the Strait of Hormuz.
"We're now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favour to Countries all over the World," Trump posted on social media, saying 28 Iranian mine-dropping vessels had been sunk.
Separately, US Central Command said that two US Navy warships transited the Strait of Hormuz at the start of an operation to clear the strategic waterway of mines laid by Iran.
Also Read: Trump says US will have Strait of Hormuz 'open fairly soon'
"Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce," said Centcom commander Admiral Brad Cooper.
Amid conflicting reports from the field, Iranian state TV said no US ships had crossed the strait, a crucial transit point for global energy supplies that Tehran has effectively blocked but Trump has vowed to reopen.
The waterway, which lies on Iran's southern coast, was one of the main points on the agenda in Islamabad for the first direct U.S.-Iranian talks in more than a decade and the highest-level discussions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.