Sanctioned China-Linked Tanker Sails Straight Through Trump’s Strait of Hormuz Blockade
April 14th, 2026Via: Independent:
A Chinese-owned oil and chemicals tanker sailed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday in an apparent defiance of Donald Trump’s US blockade.
Shipping data showed the Rich Starry passed through the waterway and exited the Gulf on Tuesday, becoming the first vessel to make it through the chokepoint since the blockade began on Monday afternoon.
The tanker and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd, were sanctioned by the US for dealing with Iran, according to Reuters.
Trump has said the US military will block Iranian vessels and any ships that have already paid Iran tolls. He said that any Iranian “fast-attack” naval ships nearing the blockade will be eliminated.
