Shipping data indicates that at least three vessels, two of which are US-sanctioned tankers, transited into the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on the initial full day of the US blockade targeting ships bound for Iranian ports. These three vessels, which passed through the strait on Tuesday, were not destined for Iranian ports and therefore remained unaffected by the blockade.
LSEG data revealed that the Panama-flagged medium-range tanker, Peace Gulf, is en route to Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates. Kpler data further showed that this vessel typically transports Iranian naphtha, a petrochemical feedstock, to non-Iranian ports in the Middle East for subsequent export to Asia.
Earlier, two US-sanctioned tankers also navigated the narrow waterway, a critical passage for one-fifth of global energy exports. Kpler data indicated that the handy tanker Murlikishan is scheduled to load fuel oil in Iraq on Thursday. This vessel, previously named MKA, has a history of transporting both Russian and Iranian oil.
Data from LSEG and Kpler suggested that another sanctioned tanker, Rich Starry, would be the first to successfully traverse the strait and exit the Gulf since the blockade commenced on Monday. Both the tanker and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd, had been sanctioned by the US due to their dealings with Iran. According to the data, Rich Starry is a medium-range tanker carrying approximately 250,000 barrels of methanol. It loaded this cargo at its last port of call, Hamriyah. The data also confirmed that the Chinese-owned tanker operates with a Chinese crew.
US President Donald Trump declared a blockade of Iranian ports on Sunday, following the breakdown of weekend peace talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital. Prior to this, Iran had almost completely halted traffic through the strait – a vital route for global energy shipments – in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks on its territory since February 28. Iran’s de facto control over this critical chokepoint had previously caused a global surge in gas and petrol prices. Washington’s current objective is to strip Tehran of its control over the strait, thereby preventing Iranian tankers, which have continued daily transits, from passing through.
“This complicates everything for commercial vessels that have been stranded in the Gulf. They now have to get permission from Iran to pass through, as well as the US,” stated Al Jazeera’s Malik Traina, reporting from Kuwait City. Traina warned, “There’s a real risk of escalation here, because if Iranian vessels are stopped, if Iranian oil is stopped, Iran could perhaps stop other vessels from the Gulf coming and entering the strait.”
On Tuesday, Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Guo Jiakun commented that the US “increased military operations and took a targeted blockade action, which will only exacerbate tensions and undermine the already fragile ceasefire agreement.” He further characterized the US move as “dangerous and irresponsible behaviour,” asserting that it “further jeopardises safety of passage through the strait.”
China sources over half of its oil from the Middle East, with a significant portion coming from Iran. Kpler data indicates that China purchased over 80 percent of Iran’s shipped oil last year, with daily imports of Iranian crude reaching 1.4 million barrels, out of a total 10.4 million barrels of seaborne crude imports per day.
Despite the ongoing blockade, the prospects for a diplomatic breakthrough are not entirely diminished. Trump stated that there remains an opportunity for Iran to strike a deal, and a Pakistani official informed Al Jazeera that Pakistan is prepared to host as many rounds of peace talks as necessary, confirming that diplomatic contact among all parties is ongoing.
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