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diplomacyApr 16, 2026

Chinese tanker retreats twice from US' Hormuz blockade in 48 hours

Summary

A fully laden Chinese tanker has twice turned back from the US blockade of traffic leaving Iranian ports, despite setting off from the United Arab Emirates. The incident highlights how Chinese commercial vessels are weighing up the risks posed by the naval blockade, with analysts saying no country's ships are receiving "special treatment". The Rich Starry sailed east through the Strait of Hormuz into the Gulf of Oman around 2am local time on Tuesday, according to data from Mingkun Technology, a Chongqing-based maritime information provider. It made a U-turn at about 3pm and made its way back through the strait. As of Wednesday evening, the Rich Starry was anchored southwest of Iran's Larak Island. The 188-metre (616-foot) oil and chemical tanker departed its anchorage off Sharjah in the UAE on Monday and set course towards the strait. However, it turned back within minutes of approaching the chokepoint, according to vessel-tracking website MarineTraffic. The US-sanctioned vessel, which flies the flag of the landlocked African nation Malawi, is reportedly carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol it picked up in the UAE. US President Donald Trump announced the blockade via social media on Sunday after weekend talks between Washington and Tehran in Islamabad ended without a deal. The US military's Central Command subsequently said the blockade would be enforced impartially on vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and the country's coastal areas along the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Reuters reported that the Chinese-owned tanker was one of at least eight ships that tried to cross the waterway on Tuesday. The Rich Starry was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for allegedly helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. Its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping, could not be reached for comment. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported on Wednesday that that two unnamed vessels had passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered Iranian waters. One vessel was a crude oil carrier capable of carrying 2 million barrels of crude oil, that had previously been sanctioned by the US, CCTV said, adding that the second was a bulk carrier loaded with food. The report also said that neither vessel encountered any "interference" during their passage. Hu Bo, director of the Beijing-based South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative, said China received "no special treatment" under the US blockade. Yue Gang, a retired People's Liberation Army colonel and military commentator, said that while the Rich Starry did not strictly fall within the scope of the blockade, its sanctions history may have influenced its decision. "In technical terms, there is no clear basis to seize the ship," Yue said. "Since it did not originate from an Iranian port but a UAE one, it falls outside the main scope of US enforcement." However, he added that the vessel likely decided that it was at high risk of seizure due to its presence on the US sanctions list. "They would not want to become a scapegoat, so turning back was the safer choice," Yue said. He added that the company likely conducted a thorough risk assessment and may have even consulted US Treasury or maritime authorities to clarify how its sanctioned status could affect its transit. "With the US eager to demonstrate the effectiveness of its blockade, there is close attention on how China, as a major power, responds," Yue said. "However, ultimately, this is a commercial vessel, not a warship. It does not represent national will, but corporate interests. For a private company, it is not about geopolitical posturing - it's about minimising risk and avoiding losses." Reuters reported that shipping through the strait had slowed to a trickle compared to the more than 130 daily crossings usually seen before the war began on February 28. During the blockade's first 24 hours, no ships leaving Iranian ports made it past the blockade and six merchant vessels complied with direction from US forces to turn back, according to a social media post from Central Command on Tuesday. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun on Tuesday described the US blockade as "dangerous and irresponsible". "With a temporary ceasefire already in place, increased US military deployment and targeted blockades will only escalate tensions ... and further threaten the safety of navigation in the strait," he said. Hu Xijin, former editor-in-chief of state-run Chinese tabloid the Global Times, said the blockade would not fundamentally harm China. "China is one of the most resilient countries, both economically and politically. In short, the Strait of Hormuz cannot block China," he wrote on Tuesday.

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  • South China Morning PostBy South China Morning Post

    A fully laden Chinese tanker has twice turned back from the US blockade of traffic leaving Iranian ports, despite setting off from the United Arab Emirates. The incident highlights how Chinese commercial vessels are weighing up the risks posed by the naval blockade, with analysts…

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Key points: Bitcoin diverges from US stocks as Trump says Strait of Hormuz “open” Data from TradingView showed BTC/USD building on the week’s gains as the S&P 500 bounced from 7,696, its lowest level since Aug. 4. BTC/USD four-hour chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView This came after US president Donald Trump posted a map of the closed Strait of Hormuz oil route to Truth Social where it was labeled “new US territory.

” Both the US and Iran lay claim to control of Hormuz, with Trump threatening US ally Oman with military action over its plans to work with Iran on charging tolls to shipping traffic. In a subsequent post, Trump confirmed that further diplomacy with Iran was not on the agenda.

“There are no talks or conversations going on, or scheduled, with the Islamic Republic of Iran. The Naval Blockade remains in full force and effect. The Hormuz Strait is open and operating. All water mines have been removed or detonated,” he wrote. S&P 500 one-day chart.

Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView As on Monday, oil avoided major volatility, with WTI crude down 1% at the time of writing at $84 per barrel. US government bonds continued to show strain, with the 30-year yield hitting 5.34%, its highest since January 2007.

“Bond prices are sending warnings,” BNY Mellon analyst Geoff Yu wrote in a research note quoted by the New York Times. Yu said that the surge came as “investors demand more compensation for inflation risk,” while also attributing the upside to government borrowing.

US 30-year bond yields one-month chart. Source: Cointelegraph/TradingView BTC price faces crunch rebound test Updating X followers on BTC/USD, trader and analyst Aksel Kibar eyed the culmination of a potential reverse head-and-shoulders pattern at $62,300.

Related: Bitcoin price spike to $64.5K was ‘low-volume liquidity trap’: Analysis “If $BTCUSD is going to rebound, it has to come from here,” he argued on Monday. Kibar offered a $53,000 target in the event of the head-and-shoulders structure failing, with $76,000 a potential upside target should the rebound sustain.

BTC/USD one-day chart. Source: Aksel Kibar on X.com Previously, Cointelegraph reported that underwater investors were contributing to Bitcoin’s inability to break higher. Its rebound to $64,500 also stopped short of an overhead trend line, the 50-month exponential moving average (EMA).

This moving average is now in place as resistance at $65,827.

Location: Strait of Hormuz
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Trump says no talks underway with Iran, Hormuz blockade remains in place US president says no discussions are taking place or planned with Tehran and reiterates that the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains fully operational Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that no talks are taking place with Iran and that no discussions are currently scheduled between the two countries.

In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump also said the naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz remains "in full force and effect." The president did not provide further details regarding US policy towards Iran or any potential future diplomatic engagement.

Trump's comments come amid continued tensions between Washington and Tehran and renewed focus on security and navigation through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most important oil shipping routes.

Location: Tehran
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tuesday that Iran had “won both the war and diplomacy,” claiming those who initially sought Tehran’s “unconditional surrender” later sought negotiations. Speaking at an event, Araghchi said Iran resisted for days against what he described as “the world’s largest apparent military,” alongside another army claiming military power and with the support of nearly all Western countries and some other states inside and outside the region, according to the Tasnim news agency.

“Those who were seeking unconditional surrender, shortly after the war began, begged for negotiations,” Araghchi said. He claimed Tehran initially rejected a ceasefire and continued fighting until reaching a point where the other side accepted a ceasefire and negotiations “on Iran’s terms.

” “We fought with strength, and we negotiated with strength,” he said, adding that many foreign ministers had told him: “You won both the war and diplomacy.” Araghchi’s remarks came after US President Donald Trump called on Iran on Monday to give up and “raise the white flag.

Location: Tehran
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- Iran demands US lift sanctions and return frozen assets to reopen Strait of Hormuz - Iran's Parliament Speaker warns closure of Strait continues until US ends military threats - Around 20% of global oil supply passes through the Strait, impacting energy security Iran has warned that the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the US meets a set of conditions, including the release of frozen Iranian assets, an end to oil sanctions and what Tehran describes as a US blockade and military threats.

Al-Arabiya English reported that Iran's Parliament Speaker and top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Trump administration must meet the conditions before Tehran considers reopening the strategic waterway. “Until the Trump regime removes the blockade, ends the wars across the region, returns Iran's stolen assets, lifts the oil sanctions, and ceases its military threats, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed,” Ghalibaf said.

Until the Trump regime removes the blockade, ends the wars across the region, returns Iran's stolen assets, lifts the oil sanctions, and ceases its military threats, the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed. pic.twitter.com/fl2RrKnT1R— Seyed Mohammad Marandi (@s_m_marandi) August 18, 2026 Ghalibaf also warned that Iran was prepared to respond more forcefully depending on the actions of its adversaries.

ALSO READ: 'We Control Hormuz': Trump To Declare Strait As US Territory? Here's What President Says The comments add a new condition to an already fragile diplomatic environment, with the Strait of Hormuz at the centre of concerns over global energy supplies.

Around one-fifth of global oil supply typically passes through the waterway, making any prolonged disruption a major risk for crude markets, shipping and energy security. Earlier, Press TV reported that Ghalibaf is scheduled to travel to Baghdad on Wednesday at the head of a high-level Iranian delegation for discussions with Iraqi leaders.

The talks are expected to cover regional developments and bilateral cooperation, including border security, counterterrorism, economic ties and implementation of existing agreements. Iraqi media have also reported that the agenda could include a proposal concerning Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz.

The visit comes as regional governments grapple with the implications of continued disruption in one of the world's most important energy corridors. ALSO READ: Hormuz Tensions: Another Ship Hit By Unknown Projectile, Says UKMTO Centre The security situation in the waterway has also remained tense.

The UK's Maritime Trade Operations agency, or UKMTO, said a vessel reported being struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz. “The Company Security Officer has reported that the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile while conducting an outbound transit of the Strait of Hormuz,” UKMTO said.

The impact damaged the vessel's engine room and resulted in a crew casualty, the agency said. The remaining crew was being assisted by the Omani coastguard. Essential Business Intelligence, Sharp Market Insights, Practical Personal Finance Advice, Daily Fuel, Gold and Silver Prices and Latest Stories — On NDTV Profit.

Location: Tehran