US details bounds of Hormuz blockade as at least two ships turn around
Jonathan Saul and Arathy Somasekhar
LONDON/HOUSTON, April 13 (Reuters) – The U.S. military detailed the limits of the Strait of Hormuz blockade on Monday, saying it would extend eastward to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, while ship tracking data showed two ships returned to the strait as the blockade came into force.
Regarding the blockade aimed at wresting control of the strait from Iran, U.S. Central Command told sailors: “Any ship entering or leaving the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, diversion, and capture.”
“The blockade will not prevent neutral transit through the Strait of Hormuz to destinations outside Iran or from destinations outside Iran.”
The blockade began at 10 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) on Monday.
Data from the MarineTraffic tracking service showed that the tanker Rich Starry, which set sail for China from its Sharjah anchorage off the coast of Dubai on Monday, turned back minutes after approaching the strait, as did a second ship, the Ostria. These tankers can carry oil and chemicals.
However, shipping data from Kpler and LSEG showed that two Iran-bound oil tankers exited the Gulf nL1N40W09N via the strait on Monday ahead of the planned US blockade.
According to Kpler data, the tanker Aurora is loaded with Iranian oil products, while the tanker New Future is carrying a load of diesel from the port of Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates.
They were among at least eight ships that passed through the strait on Monday, ahead of the blockade.
According to Kpler, a petroleum products tanker loading from the United Arab Emirates port and three dry cargo ships departing from Iranian ports exited the strait, while two Pakistani petroleum product tankers and two dry cargo ships entered the strait.
US President Donald Trump announced the blockade after weekend talks to end the six-week war between the US and Iran and ensure that oil prices rise above $100 per barrel.
The blockade raises uncertainty about how ships will transit the critical waterway used to transport one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas resources.
The US military note stated that the blockade would cover the entire coastline of Iran, but the shipment of humanitarian aid, including food, medical supplies and other essential goods, would be allowed subject to inspection.
“The immediate impact will be a sharp decline in new connecting activity for any voyages exposed to Iran and broader hesitancy even for non-Iranian cargoes moving near the Bosphorus,” Dubai-based oil trader Shohruh Zukhritdinov said.
International Maritime Organization Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez told reporters that the US blockade would stop ship traffic in the strait since the conflict began. Dominguez said 20,000 sailors and about 1,600 ships were stranded in the Gulf.
(Reporting by Jonathan Saul and Arathy Somasekhar, editing by Jason Neely, Keith Weir, David Gaffen and Cynthia Osterman)
