A US-sanctioned tanker linked to China changed course after sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz, where vessel movements are being closely watched following a naval blockade announced by Donald Trump. According to a Reuters report, the vessel. Rich Starry, made its way back to the Strait of Hormuz as it failed to break through the US blockade.
The tanker, Rich Starry, was identified as one of the first ships likely to indicate how the US measures would affect maritime traffic in the region, Bloomberg reported.
The Chinese-owned tanker was among at least eight ships crossing the waterway on Tuesday, the first day of the US blockade, Reuters reported.
Tracking data shows reversal
Available signals initially indicated that the vessel had crossed the Strait of Hormuz but data later showed it turning around at around 1 pm, London time.
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The change in direction comes at a time when shipping activity in the area is under close observation by market participants.
The vessel was blacklisted by the United States in 2023 for allegedly assisting Tehran in evading energy sanctions. Its movements have since been monitored as part of broader efforts to track oil flows linked to Iran.
Shipowners, energy traders and investors are tracking vessel movements through the strait to assess how US actions aimed at limiting Iran’s oil revenues are being implemented.
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The passage of tankers through this route is being used to understand the impact of the measures on global oil supply chains.
Iran’s response
Iran reacted to the development with a sarcastic remark on Tuesday when the ship sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz , with its embassy in Ghana posting on X: “The US Navy, with its many ‘big beautiful ships,’ issued repeated warnings. Reportedly, the tanker’s captain upgraded to premium to skip the ads,” mocking the US response to the tanker’s movement.
Signal disruptions affect monitoring
Accurate tracking remains a challenge due to signal jamming and spoofing in the region. According to TankerTrackers.com Inc., which monitors vessels using satellite data, the Rich Starry has previously been associated with spoofing its signals.
These factors continue to affect the reliability of real-time vessel tracking in the area.
US blockade in Hormuz Strait
The first full day of a US blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports did not make much difference to the traffic in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, with at least eight ships, including three Iran-linked tankers, crossing the strategic waterway, according to shipping data.
The three Iran-linked vessels that transited the waterway were not heading to Iranian ports and were not affected by the blockade.
Another ship, a Panama-flagged Peace Gulf, a medium-range tanker, is heading to Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates, LSEG data showed.
Before this, two US-sanctioned tankers — Handy tanker Murlikishan is heading to Iraq to load fuel oil, and Rich Carry is carrying methanol — passed through the Strait, Reuters reported.
Central Command said no ships have made it past the blockade since it went into effect on Monday at 10am (local time).
(With inputs from Bloomberg)
