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Three vessels – two cargo ships and a fuel tanker – appeared to be attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz early on April 21 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 now stopped signalling its location. The progress of the ship is being closely watched after the US Navy seized another Iranian cargo ship on April 19, the first capture since Washington 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 Gambia, has crossed the strait and is now turning south toward 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.
US President Donald Trump said on April 20 that the American blockade would remain in place for now. The US leader said a two-week ceasefire with Iran, which expires on the evening of April 22 in Washington, was not likely to be extended. Talks between the two countries are expected to take place in Pakistan.
Traffic through the strait has been uncertain since the ceasefire came into effect. At least three Mediterranean Shipping container ships and an MSC cruise liner, along with a handful of other passenger vessels, appeared to have exited the Persian Gulf on April 18, hugging the Omani coastline.
On April 20, two Iran-linked liquefied petroleum gas carriers, and two oil product tankers – including one with Iranian ties – transited the strait in both directions.
The Lian Star is listed as being owned and managed by Mashini S, a company based in Dubai on the Equasis database. There were no contact details for the entity.
Ean Spir does not appear on any country’s sanctions list, while Equasis lists its flag as unknown – a common tactic among dark-fleet tankers. BLOOMBERG