IN BRIEF: What we know about situation around US blockade of Hormuz Strait

MOSCOW, April 14. /TASS/. The Rich Starry, a Chinese-linked tanker flying the flag of Malawi that has been under US sanctions since 2003, passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday after the United States imposed a naval blockade on Iran, CNN reported, citing shipping data. TASS has compiled key details about the situation. - At least one vessel sailing under the flag of Iran has departed from the Gulf of Oman for the Arabian Sea since the United States imposed its blockade, according to an analysis from TASS based on data from maritime monitoring systems. - At 0:10 a.m. Moscow time on Tuesday (9:00 p.m. GMT on Monday), the container ship Shabdis, currently sailing under the flag of Iran from the Iranian port of Chabahar, entered the Arabian Sea. - At 9:00 a.m. Moscow time (6:00 a.m. GMT) on Tuesday, the vessel was around 200 km (108 nautical miles) south of the Pakistani coast as it moved southward toward the Indian Ocean. - According to data from several monitoring systems, the Shabdis may be under US sanctions. - The tanker Rich Starry also transited the Strait of Hormuz after the United States imposed a naval blockade of Iran, CNN reported, citing Marine Traffic data. - The vessel, owned by Full Star Shipping, has been under US sanctions for ties with Iran since 2023 and is flying the flag of Malawi. - The vessel passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday morning, CNN said. - The tanker attempted to leave the Persian Gulf on Monday before reversing its course near Qeshm Island. - The vessel bound for China is carrying methanol, according to CNN. - Iran had anticipated a US blockade of its ports and therefore moved dozens of oil-laden tankers out to sea in advance, Baghdad Today reported. - According to the news website, the volume of oil on board those tankers guarantees supplies to Iran’s partners for approximately 80 days. - Even before the armed confrontation in the Persian Gulf, Iran began building these reserves by loading its tankers three times faster than usual, the portal added. - Experts say these "sea storage facilities" can carry roughly 170 million barrels of oil. - The tankers are moving in stealth mode, which makes them extremely difficult to track, the portal noted. - The US naval blockade of Iran will leave these Iranian vessels almost unaffected, making the move extremely ineffective, Baghdad Today continued. - No country has the right to block international sea routes, Secretary General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO, a UN specialized agency) Arsenio Dominguez said. - Although the overall situation is difficult, blocking the strait does not resolve it, he explained. - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun criticized the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz as a "dangerous and irresponsible action." - The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed on April 13 it had been informed about the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. - According to the advisory released on its website, "these access restrictions apply without distinction to vessels of any flag engaging with Iranian ports, oil terminals, or coastal facilities." "Transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations is not reported to be impeded by these measures," UKMTO added. - The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has entered the Gulf of Oman and is now approximately 200 km south of the Iranian coast, BBC reported citing satellite data. - According to BBC, it marks the closest approach to Iran by a US vessel since the start of the US military operation against Iran. - The carrier strike group also includes two guided missile destroyers, BBC added. - The United States has more than 15 warships deployed to help enforce its blockade of Iran in the Strait of Hormuz, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) quoted a high-ranking US official as saying. - According to the WSJ, these vessels can carry helicopters that may be deployed in support of the operation. - Among other things, US attempts to enforce a naval blockade of Iran are aimed at bringing Tehran back to the negotiating table with Washington, President Donald Trump said. - Some US allies and partners will also join the blockade of Iran, Trump claimed. - The US blockade of Iran took effect at 10:00 a.m. EST (2:00 p.m. GMT), according to the US leader. - The United States will destroy Iranian ships that attempt to break the blockade, Trump warned. - The United States released a plan for the blockade of Iranian ports that envisages potential seizure of vessels violating measures in the Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg quoted the document as saying.