US-sanctioned supertankers enter Gulf despite blockade

Source: Reuters

April 15, 2026 11:17 PM EDT Updated 10 hours ago


SINGAPORE, April 16 (Reuters) - A second U.S.-sanctioned supertanker ​has entered the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed, despite ‌a U.S. blockade on vessels visiting Iranian ports.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the U.S. and Iran failed to reach a deal. The U.S. Central Command said on X that 10 ​vessels have been turned around and no ships have broken through since the start of ​the blockade on Monday.

Still, Iran's Fars News Agency said on Wednesday that an Iranian ⁠supertanker subject to U.S. sanctions crossed the strait towards Iran's Imam Khomeini port despite the blockade. ​Fars did not identify the tanker or give further details of its voyage.

The empty Very Large Crude ​Carrier (VLCC) RHN entered the Gulf on Wednesday, data from LSEG and Kpler showed. It was not immediately clear where the VLCC, which is capable of carrying 2 million barrels of oil, is heading. The tanker's entry into the Gulf ​comes a day after U.S.-sanctioned VLCC Alicia passed through the Strait of Hormuz. The Alicia is ​heading to Iraq, Kpler data showed. Both tankers have records of carrying Iranian oil in the past few years, according ‌to ⁠Kpler data.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/us-sanctioned-supertankers-enter-gulf-despite-blockade-2026-04-16/