The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Tankers continued transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, the first full day of a U.S. blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports, shipping data showed, according to Reuters.
A third Iran-linked tanker was reported entering the Gulf
through the strategic waterway, although it was not heading to an Iranian port
and therefore was not covered by the restrictions.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday
after weekend peace talks between the United States and Iran in Islamabad
failed to produce an agreement.
Data from LSEG showed that the Panama-flagged tanker Peace
Gulf is en route to Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates. Kpler data
indicated the vessel typically transports Iranian naphtha to non-Iranian Middle
Eastern ports for export to Asia.
Earlier, two U.S.-sanctioned tankers also passed through the
strait. The Murlikishan, a medium-range tanker, is reportedly heading to Iraq
to load fuel oil on April 16, according to Kpler data. The vessel has
previously carried both Russian and Iranian oil.
Another sanctioned tanker, Rich Starry, is expected to be
the first vessel to successfully exit the Gulf since the blockade began,
according to LSEG and Kpler data.
The tanker and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd,
have been sanctioned by the United States for dealings with Iran. The vessel is
carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol, which it loaded at the UAE’s
Hamriyah port, according to the data. The ship is reportedly crewed by Chinese
nationals.
China’s foreign ministry described the U.S. blockade of
Iranian ports as “dangerous and irresponsible,” warning that it could further
escalate regional tensions.
