Sanctioned Chinese tanker slips through Hormuz despite US blockade

A United States-sanctioned Chinese oil tanker has successfully transited the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, defying an ongoing US-imposed blockade, according to maritime tracking data released on Tuesday.

According to Reuters, Shipping analytics from LSEG, MarineTraffic and Kpler indicate that the vessel, Rich Starry, is the first tanker to pass through the narrow waterway and exit the Gulf since the blockade was put in place. The development highlights potential cracks in enforcement of the restrictions at one of the world’s most critical energy transit routes.

The tanker is owned by Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd, a firm previously sanctioned by Washington over its involvement in trade with Iran. Efforts to reach the company for comment were unsuccessful.

Data shows the medium-range tanker is carrying approximately 250,000 barrels of methanol. The cargo was loaded at Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates prior to its journey through the Gulf.

The vessel, which is Chinese-owned and staffed by a Chinese crew, made the passage amid heightened regional tensions and increased scrutiny of maritime traffic linked to sanctioned entities.