Sanctioned China tanker turns back toward Strait of Hormuz a day after Gulf exit as US blockade holds

SINGAPORE, April 15 — The US-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry made its way back to the Strait of Hormuz today after exiting the Gulf the day before, shipping data showed, failing to break through a US blockade ‌on vessels calling at Iranian ports.

US President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the US and Iran failed to reach a deal.

“During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the US blockade,” the US Central Command said on X, adding that six vessels complied with directions from US forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port.

The Chinese-owned tanker was among at least eight ships crossing the waterway on Tuesday, the first day of the US blockade.

A US destroyer stopped two oil tankers attempting to leave the Iranian port of Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, a US official said.

Chinese-owned tanker carrying methanol

The Rich Starry and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co, were placed under US sanctions for dealing with Iran. The company could not be reached for ‌a comment.

The Rich Starry is a medium-range tanker carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol that was loaded at the ⁠port of Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates, Kpler data showed. ⁠It is currently anchored off Iran.

The blockade has created even further uncertainty for shippers, ⁠oil companies and war risk insurers. Traffic ⁠remains at only a fraction ⁠of the 130-plus daily crossings before the US and Israel’s war on Iran began on February 28, industry sources said yesterday.

There have been no Iranian tankers carrying crude for export and passing through the strait since the US blockade began, according ⁠to Kpler and LSEG data.

The OPEC producer has unused onshore crude storage capacity of about 90 million barrels which can sustain its current output of 3.5 million barrels per day (bpd) for about two months if exports are halted, consultancy FGENexant said in a note.

A production cut of around 500,000 bpd to 3 million bpd would extend this window to about three months, it added.

Ships heading to Iraq

Another US-sanctioned vessel, the Very Large Crude Carrier Alicia that has a ⁠record of carrying Iranian oil since 2023, is entering the Gulf via the strait today, Kpler and LSEG data showed. The empty tanker, capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil, is heading to Iraq ⁠to load a cargo tomorrow, Kpler data showed.

Separately, the Malta-flagged VLCC Agios Fanourios I entered the Gulf via the strait ⁠today in ⁠a second attempt to transit, according to the data. The tanker was among several vessels that tried to enter the Gulf on Sunday during the US-Iran ceasefire deal.

It is heading to Iraq to load Basra crude for Vietnam’s Nghi Son refinery, according to the data and ‌trade sources.

Eastern Mediterranean Maritime, which manages the Agios Fanourios I, and Nghi Son Refinery and Petrochemical did not immediately respond to requests for comment. — Reuters