ConflictClarifier

Rastreador de la Crisis Irán-Golfo 2026
CC
Events Archive
diplomacyApr 13, 2026

Tankers turn back at Hormuz as crude jumps over 4% on US blockade

Summary

Two oil tankers reversed course as they approached the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, just hours after the US naval blockade against Iranian ports took effect, according to maritime tracking platform MarineTraffic. Brent crude for June delivery closed up 4.4% at $99.36 per barrel, while US benchmark WTI rose 2.6% to $99.08, according to Bloomberg. The Malawi-flagged tanker Rich Starry, 188 meters in length, turned around within minutes of approaching the strait, MarineTraffic reported. The vessel had departed from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates, bound for China. The second, identified as the Botswana-flagged Ostria at 175 meters, also changed course after nearing the area. The blockade took effect at 2:00 p.m. GMT on Monday. US Central Command (CENTCOM) specified that it applies impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas but will not impede navigation for ships transiting to non-Iranian ports. Thirty minutes after the blockade was activated, Trump posted an additional threat on Truth Social: Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea. It is fast and brutal. Iran's Revolutionary Guard warned that any military vessel approaching the strait would be considered a ceasefire violation and would be met with a severe response. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf wrote on X that the so-called blockade would soon make Americans nostalgic for $4–$5 gas. The secretary-general of the International Maritime Organization, Arsenio Dominguez, called both the US blockade and Iran's toll collection illegal. He said only 11 ships had transited the strait in the previous two days, a fraction of the roughly 130 daily crossings before the war. More than 1,300 vessels remain stranded near the strait and some 20,000 mariners are trapped, according to the organization. Analytics firm Kpler noted that LNG tanker movements remain at a standstill, with operators awaiting clearer security guarantees before re-entering the route. US gasoline prices already average $4.12 per gallon, up more than $1.20 since the start of the war, according to AAA. Trump acknowledged that oil and gasoline prices could remain elevated through November's midterm elections, CNN reported. OPEC lowered its world oil demand forecast for the second quarter by 500,000 barrels per day, citing the impact of the Middle East war.

Actors involved

USIranChina

Sources

  • CurrentsAPI

    Two oil tankers reversed course as they approached the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, just hours after the US naval blockade against Iranian ports took effect, according to maritime tracking platform MarineTraffic. Brent crude for June delivery closed up 4.4% at $99.36 per barrel, w

See this event through different lenses

Compare how Western, Iranian, Israeli, Global South, and Pro-Peace perspectives frame this event.

Compare Perspectives

Community Notes

Community Notes

Loading notes...

Related events

diplomacyUnverifiedUSIsraelIranRussiaUkraine
1 source

U.S. diesel prices reached a reported record average of $5.85 per gallon this Friday, with officials attributing the spike to ongoing conflicts with Iran disrupting global fuel supplies. Analysts suggest these increases may lead to higher transportation and consumer costs, while regular gasoline also rose to an average of $4.

15 per gallon, up from $3.20 a year prior.

Location: Iran
diplomacyUnverifiedIran
1 source

According to unverified accounts provided by a relative, Valivade served as a refuge for approximately 5,000 Polish refugees between 1942 and 1948, a period marked by the displacement of civilians following the 1939 invasion of Poland. The source claims that individual survivors, including a girl reportedly disguised to avoid danger, found temporary stability at the settlement, which is locally known as "Drugi Dom.

Location: Iran
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIsraelIranUNChinaTaiwan
1 source

The United States and Israel have reportedly engaged in a regional conflict with Iran for nearly six months, during which Strait of Hormuz oil transit has remained significantly below prewar levels of 20 million barrels per day, despite U.S. officials claiming Navy escort operations.

Although the Strait typically facilitates over 20% of global energy trade, analysts suggest that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps may continue to restrict normal transit even if diplomatic agreements are reached. Current tensions have escalated following the expiration of a reported 60-day ceasefire, prompting the U.

S. to announce new economic isolation measures while hostilities appear to have resumed.

Location: Iran
diplomacyUnverifiedUSIranUNRussiaChinaUkraineSudan
1 source

Sudan’s civil war, which has persisted for nearly four years, has reportedly displaced over 13 million people and caused significant famine, with casualty estimates suggesting approximately 59,000 deaths. Recent U.S. officials have highlighted the severity of the humanitarian crisis, noting that two-thirds of the population requires aid, while reports from the UN Security Council indicate that armed drones have been responsible for the majority of recorded civilian deaths in the first half of the year.

Location: Tyre