First Day of US Blockade: 3 Tanker Ships Pass Through Strait of Hormuz

At least three tanker ships managed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday (14 April) local time, marking the first day of the United States (US) imposing a full naval blockade on vessels docking at Iranian ports. US President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday (12 April) local time, after peace negotiations between the US and Iran held in Pakistan failed to reach an agreement. The latest shipping data, as reported by Reuters and Al Arabiya on Tuesday (14 April 2026), indicate that the three ships crossed the strait because they were not heading to Iranian ports, and therefore were not subject to the US blockade. Because the three ships crossing the strait were not bound for Iranian ports, they were not included in the blockade. LESG data shows that one of the identified vessels, the medium-range tanker Peace Gulf, flying the Panamanian flag, was en route to the port of Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to Kpler data, the ship typically carries Iranian naphtha, a petrochemical feedstock, to other non-Iranian Middle Eastern ports for export to Asia. Previously, two other tanker ships, which are subject to US sanctions, successfully passed through the narrow waterway. The tanker Murlikishan, per Kpler data, was heading to Iraq to load fuel oil on 16 April. That ship, previously known as MKA, has carried Russian and Iranian oil. Another ship, Rich Starry, based on LSED and Kpler data, became the first to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and exit the Gulf region since the US blockade began. This tanker and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd, are subject to US sanctions for dealings with Iran. There has been no comment from the Chinese company regarding the current situation in the Strait of Hormuz. Rich Starry is a medium-range tanker carrying around 250,000 barrels of methanol. Shipping data indicates that the ship loaded cargo at its last port, Hamriyah in the UAE. The Chinese-owned tanker has a crew of Chinese nationality. China’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement on Tuesday (14 April), condemned the US naval blockade of Iranian ports as a “dangerous and irresponsible” action. Beijing warned that such measures would only worsen tensions in the region. In its statement, China’s Foreign Ministry did not address Chinese ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.