U.S. Blockade on Iranian Ports Begins as Tankers Navigate Strait of Hormuz
On the first day of the U.S. blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports, a third Iran-linked tanker entered the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz. President Trump announced the blockade following unsuccessful peace talks between the U.S. and Iran. The blockade does not apply to vessels not heading to Iranian ports, allowing some tankers to continue their routes. The Panama-flagged Peace Gulf tanker is heading to Hamriyah port in the UAE, typically transporting Iranian naphtha to non-Iranian ports for export to Asia. Two U.S.-sanctioned tankers have also passed through the strait, including the Rich Starry, which is carrying methanol and is owned by a Chinese company sanctioned by the U.S. 
