Three vessels – two cargo ships and a fuel tanker – appeared to be attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday afternoon (AEST) as US and Iranian blockades remained in place.
The Shoja 2, an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel, crossed the strait and moved into the Gulf of Oman, but has since stopped signalling its location. The progress of the ship is being closely watched after the US Navy seized another Iranian cargo ship on Sunday – the first capture since the Trump administration imposed a blockade of the waterway last week.
The other two vessels have no clear links to Iran. The Lian Star, a general cargo ship flagged to The Gambia, has crossed the strait and is now turning south towards the Gulf of Oman. The Ean Spir, a medium-range tanker with no identified owner, began sailing north-east from waters near Ras Al-Khaimah in the United Arab Emirates, and is now south of Larak island, indicating Shinas in Oman as its destination.
Otherwise, traffic through the vital waterway remained at a virtual standstill following a chaotic weekend in which Iran declared the corridor open before closing it again after the US declined to lift its blockade. Around 800 vessels remain stuck in the Persian Gulf.
President Donald Trump said on Monday that the American blockade would remain in place for now. The US leader said a two-week ceasefire with Iran, which expires Wednesday evening (Washington time), was not likely to be extended. Talks between the two countries are expected to take place in Pakistan.
Bloomberg
