A Chinese supertanker, laden with two million barrels of Iraqi crude, was reportedly navigating the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, according to LSEG and Kpler ship-tracking data. The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) Yuan Hua Hu was observed past Iran's Larak Island, on the eastern side of the strait and heading south. This voyage, if successful, would mark the third known passage by a Chinese oil tanker through the Strait since the US-Israeli war with Iran began on 28 February. The development coincides with Iran's apparent efforts to firm up control over the Strait, having recently struck deals with Iraq and Pakistan to ship oil and liquefied natural gas from the region, sources suggest. Other nations are reportedly exploring similar arrangements, potentially normalising Tehran's long-term command of the vital waterway. The VLCC is owned by COSCO Shipping Energy Transportation's Hainan unit and chartered by Unipec, the trading arm of Chinese state oil major Sinopec.…