Iranian Oil Tanker Transits Strait of Hormuz Amid U.S. Blockade

An Iranian oil tanker has navigated the Strait of Hormuz despite the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, according to state media reports.

Iran's Fars News Agency reported that a supertanker, capable of transporting 2 million barrels of oil, sailed through international waters and the Strait of Hormuz with its tracking system active, "without any concealment."

Ship tracking data indicates that the Chinese-owned crude oil tanker Alicia, previously sanctioned under a different name for carrying Iranian crude, made the journey through the strait overnight. The Alicia was heading toward the Persian Gulf and reached the coast of Oman on Saturday, the day before the blockade was announced. It appeared to alter its course in the Gulf of Oman when the blockade began but then continued through the Strait of Hormuz overnight Tuesday, along with at least two other oil tankers.

The U.S. blockade, which came into effect on Monday, is being "enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman," according to U.S. Central Command.

A U.S. official stated that the blockade does not apply to sanctioned vessels unless they're entering or departing Iranian ports. It is being enforced from the Gulf of Oman, meaning some vessels departing from Iranian ports could make it through the Strait of Hormuz, but the U.S. military intends to prevent them from getting much further than that.

Ship tracking data also showed that at least two vessels have turned off their transponders in recent days near Iran's coastal waters, making them effectively invisible to open-source tracking services.

The situation underscores the complexities of enforcing the blockade and the challenges in monitoring vessel movements in the region.