Sanctioned Tankers Transit Strait Of Hormuz Amid US Blockade

At least three vessels, including two tankers under U.S. sanctions, have traversed the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf on the initial full day of the U.S. blockade affecting ships bound for Iranian ports, as per shipping data.

Since the three vessels passing through the strait on Tuesday were not directed toward Iranian ports, they were not impacted by the blockade.

The Panama-flagged tanker Peace Gulf, classified as a medium-range vessel, is en route to Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates. This tanker usually carries Iranian naphtha, a petrochemical feedstock, exporting it to non-Iranian ports in the Middle East for distribution to Asia.

Earlier, two U.S.-sanctioned tankers transited the narrow strait, a vital shipping route responsible for a fifth of global energy exports. The Handy tanker Murlikishan is scheduled to travel to Iraq for fuel oil loading on Thursday, according to Kpler data. This vessel, previously named MKA, has been involved in transporting oil from Russia and Iran.

Meanwhile, the tanker Rich Starry is set to be the first to navigate through the strait and exit the Gulf since the blockade’s implementation on Monday, as indicated by data from LSEG and Kpler.

Both the tanker and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd, have been sanctioned by the U.S. for their interactions with Iran.

Rich Starry is a medium-range tanker with a capacity of around 250,000 barrels of methanol, having loaded its cargo during its last stop at Hamriyah. The data also reveals that the vessel is owned by a Chinese company and has a Chinese crew onboard.

Aljazeera