Chinese Tanker Defies US Blockade in Strait of Hormuz
A Chinese tanker sanctioned by the United States passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday despite the US blockade at the chokepoint. According to data from LSEG, MarineTraffic and Kpler, the Rich Starry would be the first ship to cross the strait and leave the Gulf since the blockade began.
The tanker and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd, have been sanctioned by the United States for trading with Iran.
The Rich Starry is a medium-sized tanker reportedly carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol. It loaded the cargo at Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates.
Data also indicate that a Chinese crew is on board the Chinese-owned tanker.
Another US-sanctioned tanker, the Murlikishan, also entered the strait on Tuesday, according to LSEG data. The empty, small-sized tanker is expected to load fuel oil in Iraq on 16 April, Kpler data show. The vessel, formerly known as the MKA, previously carried Russian and Iranian oil.