At least 3 ships cross strait despite blockade, tracker shows

At least three ships sailing from Iranian ports crossed the Strait of Hormuz despite the U.S. military blockade, but some vessels taking the route later turned back, maritime tracking data indicated Tuesday.

They were among at least seven Iran-linked vessels that passed through the strait after Washington’s blockade came into effect on Monday, according to maritime data provider Kpler.

The Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Christianna crossed the strait after unloading 74,000 tons of corn at the Iranian port of Bandar Imam Khomeini in the Gulf, passing Iran’s Larak Island in the strait around 1600 GMT on Monday, Kpler data showed.

A second ship, the Comoros-flagged tanker Elpis, was near Larak Island around 1100 GMT and cleared the strait about 1600 GMT. It was loaded with 31,000 tons of methanol, having left the Iranian port of Bushehr in the Gulf on March 31, Kpler data showed.

“While a ceasefire and the U.S. naval blockade are now in place, flows had already slowed significantly as operators avoided transits amid security concerns,” Kepler noted in a social media post Tuesday, adding: “For now, the operating environment remains high risk, limiting any meaningful recovery in flows.”