The proportion of vessels not linked to Iranian ownership which are transiting the key Strait of Hormuz has risen, AFP reports citing data from maritime firm Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

This is despite Iran’s blockading the waterway since the start of the Middle East war on February 28, preventing a large share of Gulf countries’ hydrocarbon exports, in turn harming the global economy.

“The last week we saw ships flagged with Singapore, UAE, South Korea, and also a Norway flagged-vessel going through the Gulf, specifically exiting,” says Bridget Diakun, an analyst at Lloyd’s List Intelligence.

Crossings by very large crude carriers not tied to Iran appear in particular to be picking up again. Of the 27 recorded by analytics firm Kpler since the start of the conflict, more than half took place in May.

Five of these huge oil tankers, meanwhile, left the Gulf through the strait between May 20 and May 26. Three of them — the Eagle Veracruz sailing under the Singaporean flag, as well as the Eagle Verona and the Yuan Gui Yang, each flying the Chinese flag — have declared China as their destination.

Another ship, the Universal Winner, is heading to South Korea, whose flag it flies, while the Nissos Keros, flying the flag of the Marshall Islands, is headed for India.