According to shipping data, the oil tanker “Rich Starry”, which is under US sanctions, returned to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday (April 15) after leaving the Gulf a day earlier. The vessel failed to break through the US blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports.
Last weekend, negotiations between the US and Iran collapsed due to Iran’s refusal to abandon nuclear weapons and lack of consensus on control over the Strait of Hormuz. Subsequently, US President Trump announced sanctions on Iran. The US Central Command is responsible for enforcing the blockade on Iranian ports.
The Central Command stated on Tuesday that “no ships breached the US blockade within the initial 24 hours.” The command added that six vessels followed US military instructions and turned back to re-enter Iranian ports.
US officials reported that on Tuesday, a US destroyer intercepted two oil tankers attempting to leave an Iranian port in the Arabian Gulf.
The oil tanker “Rich Starry” and its owner Shanghai Shunrun Shipping Co., Ltd. are sanctioned by the US for engaging in transactions with Iran. The company has not yet commented on the matter.
Just 20 minutes after the US blockade on Iranian port waters took effect, the “Rich Starry” departed from anchorage near Sharjah and headed towards the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel flies the flag of Malawi, a landlocked country, making it a flag of convenience. The AIS transponder of the vessel has been tampering with location information for 11 consecutive days.
The “Rich Starry” later turned back. On Tuesday, the ship sailed through the narrowest part of the Strait of Hormuz before turning back again towards the strait.
According to Kpler data, the “Rich Starry” is a medium-range oil tanker carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol, currently anchored in waters near Iran.
The Wall Street Journal reported that ship tracking data showed the vessel previously sailed through the Strait of Hormuz from UAE waters. However, Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, a website tracking vessel movements using satellite images, stated that the “Rich Starry” had repeatedly sent false signals while docked in Iranian ports loading oil products.
Based on data from Kpler and London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG), no Iranian oil tankers have loaded crude oil for export and passed through the Strait of Hormuz since the US blockade began.
China purchases 80% to 91% of Iran’s crude oil exports. By 2025, this amounts to approximately 1.38 million barrels per day. A decade ago, Iran exported oil to over 20 countries. But a series of sanctions have reduced the buyer base mainly to China.
Reuters reported that according to data from Kpler and LSEG, another sanctioned supertanker “Alicia” entered the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday. The vessel has been transporting Iranian oil since 2023. Kpler data shows that this supertanker capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil will head to Iraq for loading cargo by Thursday.
Data also indicates that the supertanker “Agios Fanourios I” flying the Maltese flag made a second attempt on Wednesday to pass through the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf. The vessel is reportedly en route to Iraq to load Basra crude oil for delivery to the Nghi Son refinery in Vietnam.
The companies managing “Agios Fanourios I”, Eastern Mediterranean Maritime and Nghi Son refinery, did not immediately respond to Reuters for comments.