More than 20 commercial ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz amid US blockade

Washington (ANTARA) - More than 20 commercial ships have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday, citing several US officials. The ships include cargo vessels, container ships, and tankers entering and exiting the Persian Gulf, as vessels not heading to Iranian ports are exempt from the blockade and allowed to pass freely, the report stated. Some of them were reported to have sailed with transponders turned off to reduce the risk of potential Iranian attacks. On 11 April, Iran and the US began negotiations in Islamabad after US President Donald Trump announced that he had reached an agreement with Tehran regarding a two-week ceasefire. On 12 April, the head of the US delegation, Vice President JD Vance, announced that Iran and the US failed to reach an agreement during the negotiations, and the US delegation returned to its country without producing an agreement. On 12 April, Trump announced that the US would begin blockading all ships entering and exiting Iranian ports. He also instructed the US Navy to track and intercept all ships paying Iran to cross the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade took effect on Monday at 14:00 local time.