A vessel flagged by Curaçao and subjected to US sanctions passed through the congested Strait of Hormuz, as reported by an Iranian news outlet, while Tehran continues to exert control over the vital passage.
According to Iran’s semi-official outlet Mehr News, the Cuba supertanker “recently traversed the Strait of Hormuz” and docked east of Larak Island. The vessel has been included in the US sanctions list since 2024 for carrying Iranian oil cargoes to China, Mehr News reported.
The United States asserts that it has established a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, preventing vessels associated with Iran from passing through. “Nevertheless, as per reports, multiple Iranian vessels have thus far departed through the strait or arrived in the area via this waterway,” the agency noted.
Keep in mind: The speed of ships navigating the channel—where one-fifth of global crude oil supplies are transported—has slowed to almost a standstill following the US-Israeli assault on Iran, which triggered retaliation from Iran in the area. In the upcoming weeks, Tehran and Washington initiated reciprocal blockades on the waterway, with Iran striking non-aligned vessels while the US targeted ships departing from Iranian ports.
On Friday, the trade analytics firm Kpler reported that three additional ships passed through the strait.
The US Central Command reported on Thursday that since the White House imposed the blockade on April 13, the military has redirected at least 33 ships.
As of Monday, at least 26 vessels from the shadow fleet have crossed the US blockade line, according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence, a maritime data company. On Wednesday, 10 tankers from the shadow fleet were approaching the Persian Gulf region, the company stated.
Nonetheless, the US has intercepted vessels connected to Iran outside the Persian Gulf — including a sanctioned tanker in the Indian Ocean this week.
This post has been revised with additional details.
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