US-sanctioned tanker tests Trump blockade with Hormuz exit

A US-sanctioned tanker linked to China is sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz and into the Gulf of Oman, testing President Donald Trump’s naval blockade.

Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker earlier known as Full Star, was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. It is not clear on this occasion whether it visited Iranian ports before its transit, or is carrying cargo.

The exit is a second attempt for the carrier, which began a first as the US blockade came into effect on Monday, only to turn back. It then restarted hours later, and appeared to turn the bend into the eastern side of Hormuz on Tuesday.

Shipowners, energy traders and investors across financial markets have been keenly following its route through Hormuz as they try to understand the latest US effort to pressure Tehran and curb its oil revenues — and how it will work in practice.

“The real issue is not simply whether ships can pass through Hormuz, but what spectrum of enforcement options US warships apply, and where they choose to apply them,” said Charlie Brown, an advisor to United Against Nuclear Iran, a US lobby and pressure group focused on Tehran.

The Rich Starry (in white) made the transit through Strait of Hormuz after the US announced that its blockade was in effect. Elpis (blue) made the journey a few hours earlier.

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Rich Starry initially transmitted that it had a Chinese owner and crew — a common safety mechanism for ships crossing the strait during the current conflict in the Persian Gulf, and one that could test Washington’s resolve to challenge vessels tied to the world’s largest oil importer. The tanker has now switched to indicating the Omani port of Sohar as its destination, according to ship-tracking data.

Throughout the crossing, the tanker’s location signals have not been consistent. Vessels in the area have regularly been impacted by electronic interference which can produce inaccurate speed and location reports.

Another tanker, the Elpis, was in the strait and headed into the Gulf of Oman just as the blockade began. It appears to have stopped out of the narrow waterway and off the Iranian coast. Ship-tracking platforms Kpler and Vortexa indicate that Elpis had docked at an Iranian port in the gulf before attempting to pass through Hormuz, meaning it would be a potential target for a patrolling US navy vessel.

The ship was sanctioned by the US last year under its former name, Chamtang, over its links to the Iranian oil trade.

Most shipowners reached by Bloomberg across the Middle East and Asia — who now face the need to clear both Iranian and US approvals to exit the Persian Gulf — said they would pause any effort to make their way through the strait until the workings of the blockade are clear.

Trump’s blockade has also sparked alarm among Asian nations that rely heavily on Middle Eastern energy and fuel exports. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has urged global stakeholders to push for peace talks between Tehran and Washington.

A spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry said at a regular press briefing on Tuesday that he was not familiar with specifics of Rich Starry’s voyage. “Only by ending the war, and realizing peace and stability in the Gulf region, can we fundamentally uphold safe and unimpeded passage at the Strait of Hormuz,” spokesman Guo Jiakun said.

Any effort to interdict a Chinese vessel would unsettle markets already upended by a historic energy supply crisis.

“At best, Trump’s announcement is a paper tiger. At worst, it marks an escalation,” said Carlos Casanova, senior Asia economist at Union Bancaire Privee in Hong Kong.

The Rich Starry has indicated it is sailing under a Malawi flag, but the landlocked African nation has said it has no official registry for oceangoing ships.

Rich Starry is owned by Full Star Shipping Ltd., which shares the same contact details as Shanghai Xuanrun Shpg. Co. Ltd., maritime database Equasis shows. A call made to Shanghai Xuanrun did not get through, while the company didn’t respond to an emailed request for comment. The Shanghai-based entity is also sanctioned by the State Department.

Elpis’s owner is Chartchemical SA that uses its manager, IMS Ltd.’s contact details. A call made to Malaysia-based IMS failed to connect. IMS did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

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