Alleged Chinese, Iranian Ships Pass Hormuz Strait, US Says No Evidence of Movement
• American forces reveal six vessels turned back so far
•China maintains blockade dangerous, irresponsible
•Trump says US, Iran may hold talks in next two days
Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
A U.S.-sanctioned Chinese tanker tested President Trump’s new blockade on travel through the Strait of Hormuz, passing through the trading corridor to the Gulf of Oman, a new report has said.
Under Trump’s blockade, which began on Monday morning, the U.S. military said it was blocking Iranian ports and stopping vessels that paid tolls to Iran.
Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker, traveled through the strait on Monday afternoon, making it through the waterway on a second attempt, according to shipping data from Kpler. The ship was carrying around 250,000 barrels of methanol, Reuters reported.
The ship flies under the Malawi flag, but the African country has stated that it has no official registration for ships. The vessel has a Chinese crew on board, according to the report.
In 2023, the U.S sanctioned the tanker and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Company Limited, for its dealings with Iran. It is unclear whether the vessel stopped at Iranian ports during its recent journey through the waterway.
Another U.S.-sanctioned Chinese tanker, Murlikishan, passed through the strait from the opposite direction and is currently located in the Persian Gulf, the report said. The second tanker flies under Madagascar’s flag and is heading to Iraq to load fuel on April 16, according to Kpler.
Trump’s blockade followed lengthy talks between U.S. and Iranian negotiators this past weekend, which ended without an agreement to end the conflict between the two countries. The president said that Tehran refused to meet the U.S.’s demands on a nuclear enrichment and other issues.
There are reportedly diplomatic efforts underway to hold a second round of talks as soon as this week.
The war has driven up global energy costs, after Iran retaliated with counterstrikes on Gulf states and closing the Strait of Hormuz. During a temporary ceasefire period, Tehran has sought to impose pricey tolls on oil-carrying vessels traveling through the major oil trading corridor — a move opposed by the Trump administration.
US: No Ships Passed, Six Turned Back
But the US said no ships made it past its blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas in the first 24 hours.
US Central Command (Centcom) said more than 10,000 military personnel, along with dozens of warships and aircraft, are involved in the blockade. It said six merchant vessels complied with direction from US forces to turn around and re-enter an Iranian port.
The update followed tracking data showing four Iran-linked ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz after the blockade began. Centcom said the blockade was being enforced against vessels of all nations entering or leaving Iranian ports, while it says it continues to support freedom of navigation for those not travelling to or from Iran.
“During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and six merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman,” the U.S. military’s Central Command said in the statement.
“The blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas,” the statement added.
In a note sent to seafarers about the blockade on Monday, the U.S. military said: “Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorisation is subject to interception, diversion, and capture.”
The note said the blockade would include all of Iran’s coastline, but humanitarian shipments including food, medical supplies and other essential goods would be permitted, subject to inspection.
Trump announced the blockade following the breakdown of weekend talks to end the six-week-long U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. Oil prices jumped back above $100 a barrel before easing on Tuesday in hopes of further talks, Reuters reported.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said it had been informed of maritime restrictions, but was told that “neutral vessels” currently within Iranian ports had been granted a grace period to leave.
The blockade adds to uncertainty around how ships will transit the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway used to move one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies. Iran’s threats to shipping have caused global oil prices to skyrocket about 50 per cent since the U.S. and Israel launched the war on February 28.
China: US Blockade Dangerous, Irresponsible
China’s foreign ministry has condemned the US blockade of Iranian ports as “dangerous and irresponsible”. The blockade came into force on Monday, a day after peace talks between the US and Iran broke down in Pakistan.
Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun warned that the blockade would only “exacerbate tensions and undermine the already fragile ceasefire agreement”. “This is dangerous and irresponsible behaviour”, Guo told a news conference.
Guo said reports that China was preparing to deliver new air defence systems to Iran were “completely fabricated”.
The reports prompted US President Donald Trump to threaten to impose a 50 per cent tariff on China’s goods if it provided military assistance to Tehran.
“If the US insists on using this as an excuse to impose additional tariffs on China, China will definitely take resolute countermeasures,” Guo said.
A BBC report said China, which gets a large amount of its oil from Iran, “has an interest in this conflict ending and returning stability to the international market”
Trump: US, Iran May Hold Talks In Next Two Days
Talks between the U.S and Iran could restart “in the next two days”, Trump told the New York Post. “Something could be happening over the next two days, and we’re more inclined to go there (Pakistan),” he told the newspaper.
This comes after a weekend meeting in Islamabad, Pakistan, involving US Vice-President JD Vance and Iran’s Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, among others. The talks ended without a deal.
Earlier, Iran’s state-run media said messages have been exchanged between Tehran and Pakistan, but there was “no information” about any agreement to hold further talks with the U.S.
