US-sanctioned ships pass Hormuz as China raps Trump’s blockade
At least four Iran-linked ships crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday following the start of the US-imposed naval blockade targeting vessels that call at Iranian ports, shipping data analyzed by BBC Verify showed.
The blockade was announced by US President Donald Trump on Sunday after peace talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad ended without an agreement on Saturday, following a 40-day war against Iran.
China's Foreign Ministry condemned the US blockade as "dangerous and irresponsible," with spokesman Guo Jiakun saying it would only "exacerbate tensions and undermine the already fragile ceasefire agreement."
According to LSEG data, the Panama-flagged medium-range tanker Peace Gulf is sailing to Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates. Kpler data shows the ship is typically involved in transporting Iranian naphtha — a petrochemical feedstock — to non-Iranian ports in West Asia for onward shipment to Asia, Press TV reported.
Earlier, two US-sanctioned vessels also passed through the critical waterway.
The Handysize tanker Murlikishan is heading toward Iraq to load fuel oil on April 16, according to Kpler. Formerly named MKA, the vessel has previously carried both Russian and Iranian crude.
Another sanctioned tanker, Rich Starry, is expected to be the first to leave the Persian Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz since the blockade took effect, based on LSEG and Kpler data.
The ship and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co. Ltd., have been sanctioned by the United States for dealings with Iran.
LSEG data showed Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker, is carrying roughly 250,000 barrels of methanol loaded at its most recent port of call, Hamriyah in the UAE. The vessel is Chinese-owned and crewed by Chinese nationals, the report by Press TV added.
China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday said the blockade move would increase regional tensions. It did not specify whether any Chinese vessels were transiting the strait.
"The US increased military operations and took a targeted blockade action, which will only exacerbate tensions and undermine the already fragile ceasefire agreement and further jeopardize safety of passage through the Strait of Hormuz," Guo told a news conference in Beijing.
China vows countermeasures
China also vowed to impose "countermeasures" in response to Trump's threats of new tariffs on its goods entering the United States if Beijing provided military assistance to Iran during the conflict involving the Islamic Republic.
"If the US insists on using this as an excuse to impose additional tariffs on China, China will definitely take resolute countermeasures," Guo said.
The senior Chinese diplomat further said that reports of China providing weapons to Iran "are completely fabricated."
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani, called the blockade a "grave violation" of Iran's sovereignty, saying the measure was "unlawful."