{"text":[[{"start":8,"text":"Two tankers carrying liquefied natural gas have passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the latest sign that traffic through the vital shipping lane may be picking up as talks to extend a fragile ceasefire between Iran and the US continue."}],[{"start":22.5,"text":"The two vessels, carrying LNG from Qatar and bound for China and Pakistan, are now broadcasting positions in the Arabian Sea, according to data from shipping intelligence firm MarineTraffic. Another tanker, carrying crude oil, crossed the strait on Saturday, bound for Ningbo, China. "}],[{"start":41.05,"text":"The passage of the three ships comes amid intense talks between the US and Iran over the weekend to extend the ceasefire between the two countries by 60 days and reopen the strait. Mediators on Monday stepped up their efforts to get a deal over the line. "}],[{"start":57.599999999999994,"text":"Reopening the strait has been one of US President Trump’s priorities as he has sought to ease the worst global energy crisis in decades. Iran slowed the flow of shipping through the waterway following the start of the conflict on February 28. About one-fifth of the world’s supplies of oil and LNG normally pass through the strait."}],[{"start":78.3,"text":"The FT reported last week that two tankers carrying Iraqi oil bound for China passed through the maritime chokepoint in what was potentially the largest volume of crude to exit the Gulf in a single day since the US and Israel started the conflict with Iran."}],[{"start":94.75,"text":"Shipping data confirmed that a tanker named the Al Rayyan, which is carrying 56,000 tonnes of LNG, revealed it had left the Gulf when it broadcast from the east side of the strait in the early hours on Monday. It is expected to arrive in Zhoushan in China on June 27, according to analytics company Kpler. "}],[{"start":113.25,"text":"The vessel, which is owned by QatarEnergy Marine, had not previously made a delivery since February 26. "}],[{"start":120.3,"text":"QatarEnergy Marine did not immediately respond to a request for comment."}],[{"start":125.5,"text":"A second LNG tanker, Fuwairit, is expected to discharge its cargo in Pakistan on Tuesday. Unusually, the vessel broadcast location data during its transit of the strait early on Sunday, according to MarineTraffic."}],[{"start":139.3,"text":"These signals showed the vessel doubled back on itself in the neck of the strait before resuming its course at high speed and exiting into the Gulf of Oman. The tanker loaded at Qatar’s Ras Laffan port on March 27, according to Kpler."}],[{"start":155.85000000000002,"text":"Separately, the Eagle Verona, the crude tanker which exited the strait on Saturday, is expected to reach its destination in China on June 12. "}],[{"start":170.75000000000003,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1779754558_4403.mp3"}