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.