A second U.S.-sanctioned supertanker has entered the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed, despite a U.S. blockade on vessels visiting Iranian ports.
U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the U.S. and Iran failed to reach a deal.
The U.S. Central Command said on X that 10 vessels have been turned around and no ships have broken through since the start of the blockade on Monday.
Still, Iran's Fars News Agency said on Wednesday that an Iranian supertanker subject to U.S. sanctions crossed the strait towards Iran's Imam Khomeini port despite the blockade. Fars did not identify the tanker or give further details of its voyage.
The empty Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) RHN entered the Gulf on Wednesday, data from LSEG and Kpler showed. It was not immediately clear where the VLCC, which is capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil, is heading.
The tanker's entry into the Gulf comes a day after U.S.-sanctioned VLCC Alicia passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The Alicia is heading to Iraq, Kpler data showed.
Both tankers have records of carrying Iranian oil in the past few years, according to Kpler data.
Vessels that have been forced to turn back include the U.S.-sanctioned tanker Rich Starry, which returned to the Gulf on Wednesday, a day after exiting.
The U.S. has warned it could add secondary sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil in an apparent effort to gain leverage ahead of more negotiations, just weeks after Washington loosened the enforcement of some Iran energy sanctions.
Iran could consider allowing ships to sail freely through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz without risk of attack as part of proposals it has offered in negotiations with the U.S., providing a deal is clinched to prevent renewed conflict, a source briefed by Tehran said.
The U.S. blockade is expected to reduce Iran's crude exports, although the OPEC producer could sustain its current production at 3.5 million barrels per day (bpd) for weeks by storing oil in onshore tanks, analysts say.
Iran exported 1.84 million bpd of crude in March and has shipped 1.71 million bpd thus far in April, compared with an average of 1.68 million bpd in 2025, according to Kpler data.
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Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
The United Arab Emirates suspended all trade and financial transactions with Iran on Tuesday after saying Iranian missiles had targeted maritime navigation in the Gulf.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
U.S. President Donald Trump says Washington is not seeking an extension of its memorandum of understanding with Iran, claiming the U.S. already controls the Strait of Hormuz through its naval blockade.
At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, among the deadliest since a June ceasefire. Meanwhile, Qatar denied holding Iranian pilots. It said it had found the remains of one pilot after an airspace violation and had contacted Iran to coordinate a handover.
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