Chinese Vessels Traverse Strait Of Hormuz Despite Blockades

Chinese-owned oil tankers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz since Monday’s blockade of the major shipping lane.

Several tankers have already crossed the Strait according to vesselfinder, including two Chinese-owned vessels, Rich Starry and Murlikishan. The tankers are exploiting a loophole within the blockades by visiting non-Iranian ports with the permission of the Iranian regime, the two conditions required to pass through both blockades.

“The Strait of Hormuz is an important international trade route for goods and energy. Keeping the area safe and stable and ensuring unimpeded passage serves the common interest of the international community,” Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Guo Jiakun said during a press conference on Monday. “The root cause of the disruption at the Strait of Hormuz is the military conflict. To solve the issue, the conflict must stop as soon as possible.”

“No ships made it past the U.S. blockade,” according to a X post that U.S. Central Command referred the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation to when it was asked about the Chinese vessels crossing the strait. However, the post later concedes that “U.S. forces are supporting freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”