Ships made it through the Strait of Hormuz – despite the US blockade

Isaac Turner

Published 14.54

          

         Photo: /AP/TT / AP

The US is to stop Iran-linked ships in the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite this, several have made it through.

– It is not so easy to block completely, says expert Jan Hallenberg.

Quick version

• The US's attempt to block Iran-linked ships in the Strait of Hormuz has proven difficult to implement comprehensively, according to security policy expert Jan Hallenberg.
• Despite blockade measures, several ships, including Chinese-sanctioned and Iran-based, have been able to pass through the strait.
• Experts believe that the US's actions are part of a diplomatic game, where the risk of escalating violence is assessed as low, while the rhetoric is stronger than the actual actions.

Peace negotiations between Iran and the US stalled this weekend. Immediately afterwards, President Donald Trump issued a sharp message:

“The United States Navy, the best in the world, will immediately begin the process of blocking all ships attempting to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz,” he wrote on Truth Social.

But despite this, a Chinese sanctioned ship and two ships that left Iranian ports have made it through the strait – so far.

“To really block the strait, it takes a lot of ships, and there are not enough of them. But you can probably see it as the American blockade gradually tightening,” says security policy expert Jan Hallenberg.  

         

         Jan Hallenberg. Photo: Jessica Gow/TT

Iranian McDonald’s mockery

The Chinese ship “Rich Starry” is Malawi-flagged, had a Chinese crew and was transporting methanol, according to Reuters.

When it got through, Trump was mocked.

“We are now told that the blockade only applies to countries that the US is not afraid of. That list used to be long. Now it will be on Trump’s McDonald’s receipt, delivered via DoorDash,” writes the Iranian embassy in Ghana on X.

The Liberian-flagged ship “Christianna” left the Iranian port of Bandar and made it through the strait overnight without any cargo. The other, “Elpis”, has been sanctioned since earlier and left the port of Bushehr loaded with methanol, according to the New York Times.

“Then things could go badly”

According to data from Vesselfinder, several other ships, which are not sanctioned, also made it through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday.

Jan Hallenberg believes that the US is being cautious in how they act.

– Trump’s rhetoric has gone much further than what is happening in reality. It is part of a diplomatic fencing and I do not believe in any major war without markings for the negotiation round, he says.

And it is seen as unlikely that the US would start shooting at ships.

– If one of the parties starts shooting, then things could go badly. Then it will be a spiral that is difficult to fix. But they could board and put their men on board, says Jan Hallenberg.