Two empty tankers linked to Iran entered the Persian Gulf despite US warnings of their confiscation

At least two more empty tankers linked to Iran entered the Persian Gulf despite US warnings of their confiscation. This is reported by Bloomberg, according to UNN.

At least two more empty tankers linked to Iran entered the Persian Gulf hours before the US warned it would consider inspecting and detaining any sanctioned vessels, regardless of their location, continuing the blockade of Iran.

Observed traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains extremely limited, but some transit traffic is still ongoing in both directions. In addition to vessels entering the strait, two oil tankers linked to China exited the Persian Gulf into the Gulf of Oman.

The publication notes that the US Naval Forces Central Command announced on Thursday that "in addition to enforcing the blockade, all Iranian vessels, vessels subject to Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions, and vessels suspected of carrying contraband are subject to belligerent right of visit and search."

The command also noted that, regardless of location, vessels "are subject to inspection, boarding, search, and seizure," according to an update circulated by the Combined Maritime Information Center, which provides communication between military and commercial shipping. This indicates the possibility of confiscations outside the Middle East.

The US states that since the beginning of the blockade this week, it has forced 14 vessels to turn back, and according to signal tracking data, no loaded Iranian oil tanker has been recorded exiting through the Strait of Hormuz. A significant portion of Iranian oil is transported on vessels that have not transmitted automatic signals of their location for a long time - a practice that has existed at least since President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran.

According to vessel tracking data, a liquefied petroleum gas tanker entered the Persian Gulf, passing between the Iranian islands of Larak and Qeshm late Wednesday afternoon. This empty tanker transmitted information that it was owned by Chinese owners and had a Chinese crew - a common security measure - and indicated the Iraqi port of Khor al-Zubair as its destination.

Recall

The US announced the start of intercepting ships in the strait after the failure of negotiations in Islamabad. The naval forces will ensure the opening of the route for tankers.