In recent days, the operator of an oil tanker stuck in the Persian Gulf received a compelling proposal. After weeks at anchor with missiles and drones passing overhead, it could finally sail safely out through the Strait of Hormuz and into the open ocean — escorted by the Iranian Navy. But first it would need to change its registration and raise the flag of Pakistan, according to a company executive, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive conversations.The company wasn’t able to take up the offer, which came from the government of Pakistan. Iran agreed to allow 20 Pakistani vessels to transit through the strait, but the country only had a few flagged ships in the Gulf. Islamabad began reaching out to some of the world’s biggest commodity traders to see if they had vessels that could transit Hormuz while temporarily sailing under a Pakistani flag, according to people with knowledge of the discussions
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