Commodities
Iran-Linked Tanker Reportedly U-Turns After Exiting Hormuz With US Blockade in Force
Iran-linked tanker Rich Starry reportedly reversed course on Wednesday, a day after it exited the Strait of Hormuz, as the US blockade held outside the Persian Gulf remained in force, according to multiple media outlets.The China-bound tanker and its owner Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping were placed under US sanctions for links to the Iranian oil trade.The medium-range vessel reportedly loaded 250,000 barrels of methanol from the UAE's Hamriyah port and was the first to exit the strait on Tuesday, after the US blockade began at 10 a.m. ET on Monday, Reuters reported.However, the tanker was seen heading back towards the Strait on Wednesday, instead of continuing into the Arabian Sea, Seatrade Maritime News said.EOS Risk Group head of advisory Martin Kelly said on X that the ship changed course "abruptly," showing that the US blockade is "in force."Aside from Rich Starry, two other ships under US sanctions, Peace Gulf and Murlikishan, passed through the strait on Tuesday, according to shipping data cited by Reuters.The three Iran-linked vessels were not heading to Iranian ports, hence should not be covered by the blockade, the news agency said.The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control, responsible for enforcing economic and trade sanctions, did not immediately respond to' request for comment.Additionally, five other vessels transited the chokepoint on Tuesday. These comprised two chemical and gas tankers, two dry bulk vessels, and one cargo ship that docked at Iran's Bandar Abbas port, the news agency said.In total, at least eight ships reportedly passed through the channel on Tuesday.On the same day, the US Navy interdicted two oil tankers that had left Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, and instructed them to turn around to enter an Iranian port, Reuters reported, citing a US official.The US Central Command said in a post on X that "during the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the US blockade and six merchant vessels complied with direction from US forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman."Meanwhile, humanitarian shipments are exempted from the US blockade, according to a US military note seen by Reuters.Since the US blockade began, the number of ships crossing the Strait has reportedly remained minimal, compared with the pre-war levels of over 130.