Four Iran-linked container ships defy US naval blockade
Four Iran-linked container ships have slipped through a US naval blockade after departing Iranian ports, maritime tracking data shows, even as Washington vows to continue enforcing restrictions on vessels tied to Iranian trade.
All four vessels are container ships; three operate under the Iranian flag, while the fourth, named "Tava 4," is registered in the Comoros.
According to Marine Traffic data, the ships have moved as follows since the blockade began on Monday: "Azargoun" departed Iran’s Shahid Rajaee port, crossed the blockade line around 16:00, and is heading to Kandla port in northwest India; "Ashkan 3" left Chabahar in southeastern Iran and is currently registered in Karachi, Pakistan; "Shabdis" also departed Chabahar, crossed the line around 21:00, and is now near the southwest Indian coast around Kerala, having declared Zhuhai, China, as its destination; and "Tava 4" left Imam Khomeini Port in southern Iran, crossed the blockade line around 13:00, and is en route to Jawaharlal Nehru port near Mumbai, India.
The assessment is based on positions reported by the vessels themselves. However, some ships may turn off their tracking systems or transmit false information — a practice known as "spoofing."
US Joint Chiefs Chairman General Dan Caine has emphasized that the United States "continues to enforce the blockade." In response to inquiries, US Central Command (CENTCOM) stated it had "nothing beyond previous statements" to add.
More ships crossing strait
The developments come as shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a vital maritime corridor for oil and gas exports, has shown signs of increased vessel movement in recent days despite ongoing military tensions and the US naval blockade targeting Iranian ports, gulfnews.com reported.
Maritime tracking data and reporting indicate that a growing number of commercial vessels have continued to transit the narrow waterway, which saw dramatic declines in activity earlier in the American-Israeli war on Iran that began on February 28.
On Thursday, data compiled by monitoring firm Marine Insight showed that more than 20 vessels transited the strait within a 24-hour period amid the blockade, even as some ships were ordered to turn back or reroute. The United States announced a naval blockade allowing "zero ships" in and out of Iranian ports starting 6 p.m. on Monday. The blockade was ordered by US President Donald Trump after talks with Iran in Pakistan failed to make progress and Iran had kept the Hormuz closure for “the hostile states.” However, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Friday that passage for all commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz remained open for the remainder of the ceasefire period, which ends on April 22, in line with the arrangement in Lebanon.
On Thursday, General Caine announced the blockade's "expansion" to pursue and intercept Iran-linked vessels globally, including "dark fleet" tankers in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, regardless of nationality. The move follows stalled ceasefire talks, with Trump claiming Iran agreed to hand over enriched uranium — amid rising US oil prices.
CENTCOM clarified that vessels sailing to and from non-Iranian destinations remain free to pass through the strategic waterway.
Reuters tracking data has also noted that at least eight merchant vessels — including three tankers linked to Iran — made transit attempts in the days following the US blockade announcement.
Independent counts reported that 279 vessels have passed through the strait since the war began in late February, though the total includes a period of heavily reduced traffic due to security risks. Most of the recent crossings, however, appear to involve ships bound for or departing from non-Iranian ports.
Some maritime analysts have also noted shifts in vessel routing, with ships using designated corridors along the Iranian and Omani coasts amid security concerns and alternative transit advisories.
The Wall Street Journal, citing two US officials, reported over 20 ships crossed the strait in the past 24 hours, with some halted.
Kpler data also confirmed at least three vessels transited post-blockade, including the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Christianna — which discharged cargo at Iran's Bandar Imam Khomeini and passed near Larak Island shortly after restrictions took effect.
Before the escalation of conflict, roughly 100 or more commercial ships a day moved through the Strait of Hormuz. Continued transit, however, reflects resilient commercial efforts to maintain critical supply chains even as geopolitical tensions persist in the region.