The US-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry returned to the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday after exiting the Gulf the previous day, according to shipping data. The vessel failed to break through a US blockade imposed on ships calling at Iranian ports.

US President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday following unsuccessful peace talks in Islamabad between the US and Iran.

The US Central Command stated on X that during the first 24 hours of the blockade, no ships managed to pass through. Six vessels complied with US forces’ instructions to turn back and re-enter Iranian ports.

The Rich Starry, owned by Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co, was one of at least eight ships attempting to cross the waterway on Tuesday, the first day of the blockade. The Chinese-owned tanker and its operator have been placed under US sanctions for dealings with Iran. Attempts to reach the company for comment were unsuccessful.

A US destroyer intercepted two oil tankers on Tuesday as they tried to leave the Iranian port of Chabahar on the Gulf of Oman, according to a US official. The Rich Starry itself was carrying approximately 250,000 barrels of methanol loaded at the port of Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates, shipping data from Kpler indicated.

Another sanctioned vessel, the Very Large Crude Carrier Alicia, entered the Gulf via the strait on Wednesday. The tanker, which has the capacity to carry 2 million barrels of oil, was empty and heading to Iraq to load cargo on Thursday, according to LSEG and Kpler data.

The blockade has heightened uncertainty for shippers, oil companies, and war risk insurers. Industry sources reported that traffic remains far below the usual 130-plus daily crossings seen before the US and Israel’s war on Iran began on 28 February.

Agencies