At least five ships that had called at Iranian ports crossed the Strait of Hormuz yesterday despite the military blockade imposed by the United States. This is what emerges from the data of the maritime monitoring companies Kpler and Lseg.
The details of the routes and the ships involved
A Liberian-flagged bulk carrier, the Christianna, transited the strategic strait after unloading corn in the Iranian port of Bandar Imam Khomeini, passing near Larak Island around 6pm on Monday, according to Kpler. The US blockade had gone into effect about two hours earlier. A second ship, the tanker Elpis, flying the Comoros flag, was near the island of Larak around 1pm and crossed the strait around 6pm, according to the data.
According to Lseg data, the medium range class tanker Peace Gulf, flying the Panamanian flag, is headed to the port of Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates. Kpler data indicates that the unit is typically employed in transporting Iranian naphtha, a petrochemical feedstock, to non-Iranian ports in West Asia for onward shipments to Asia.
Even earlier, two ships subject to US sanctions had crossed the crucial waterway, Iranian TV reported. According to Kpler, the Handy-class tanker Murlikishan is heading to Iraq to load fuel oil on April 16. Previously named Mka, the vessel has already transported both Russian and Iranian crude oil. And the same goes for Rich Starry.
Six merchant ships stopped by the blockade of Hormuz
Six merchant ships have reversed course and returned to Iranian ports after encountering the US naval blockade in force since yesterday. The US Central Command said this in a post on social media. Over 10,000 American soldiers and 12 US Navy ships are engaged in the blockade of Iranian ports, which is implemented “against ships of all nations” entering or leaving Iranian ports, the Command specified.