Arabic version: سفن مرتبطة بإيران تبحر في الحصار البحري الأمريكي في مضيق هرمز

According to BBC News,

Four vessels with links to Iran have crossed the Strait of Hormuz despite the start of a US naval blockade, according to ship-tracking data. However, two of those vessels appear to have reversed course after initially transiting the strait.

The US-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry, which has reported it is carrying cargo, sailed east from Sharjah in the UAE through the strait overnight but has since changed direction. Similarly, the bulk carrier Christianna, which sailed east through the waterway after calling at Bandar Iman Khomeini in Iran, has also turned back. Another tanker, the US-sanctioned Elpis, transited the strait on Tuesday and is now stationary on the eastern side, possibly having come from the Iranian port of Bushehr.

US Central Command said on Tuesday that six vessels had complied with US orders to turn around, asserting that “no ships from Iranian ports made it past the blockade.” The situation is complicated by potential spoofing of location signals by some vessels, which may not be providing accurate data.

Since the beginning of the blockade, at least four additional vessels with no obvious links to Iran have crossed the strait. The waterway remains crucial for global shipping, and the ongoing conflict has severely disrupted maritime traffic, with nearly 800 ships reported to be stranded, many of which are fully loaded with cargo.

Experts express concerns about the risk of further escalation, including direct attacks on vessels, as the US blockade continues. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has published guidelines for safe navigation to avoid areas marked as dangerous due to potential sea mines. The US has deployed destroyers to the area as part of a mission to clear “sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,” further complicating the situation in this vital shipping lane.