Sanctioned tanker turns back amid US blockade on Iran
The U.S.-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry returned to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after failing to bypass a naval blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports.
The sanctioned tanker Rich Starry returned to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after exiting the Gulf the previous day, according to shipping data. The vessel failed to bypass a maritime blockade recently established by the United States against ships calling at ports in Iran. This enforcement follows the failure of peace talks in Islamabad over the weekend.
The United States Central Command reported that no vessels successfully breached the blockade during its first 24 hours of operation.
During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade, and six vessels complied with directions from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port.
The Rich Starry, which is owned by a company based in China, was one of at least eight vessels attempting to navigate the waterway on Tuesday. A United States destroyer reportedly intercepted two other oil tankers attempting to depart from the Iranian port of Chabahar. Data from Kpler indicates the Rich Starry is a medium-range tanker carrying approximately 250,000 barrels of methanol originally loaded at the port of Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates.
The blockade has introduced significant uncertainty for global shipping and energy sectors. Maritime traffic has plummeted to a fraction of the 130 daily crossings recorded before the conflict involving Israel began on February 28. Traders tracking the price of Brent Crude Oil are closely monitoring these developments as supply routes face continued disruption.
Other vessels are also navigating the tense region. The sanctioned tanker Alicia is reportedly entering the Gulf to load a cargo in Iraq on Thursday. Simultaneously, the Malta-flagged vessel Agios Fanourios I is making a second attempt to transit the strait. It is scheduled to load Basra crude in Iraq for delivery to the Nghi Son refinery in Vietnam.
Movement data for these vessels was provided by Kpler and the LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE GROUP. This report includes contributions from correspondents in Singapore, Japan, and Egypt.
