'No clear direction of...': 14 ships cross Strait of Hormuz since US blockade
US-Iran tensions: Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group, said there appears to be no clear direction on the US blockade, as a total of 14 vessels have crossed the Strait since April 13.
- Apr 14, 2026,
- Updated Apr 14, 2026 3:49 PM IST
US-Iran tensions latest: Despite the US announcing a blockade of Iranian ports, multiple vessels initially turned back, but most of them resumed course within hours. Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group, said that there appears to be no clear direction of the US blockade as a total of 14 vessels have crossed the Strait since April 13.
On April 13, US President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran's "unyielding" refusal to do away with its nuclear ambitions during peace talks in Pakistan.
Kelly said that 6 out of 14 vessels tracked from April 13 were inbound and 7 were outbound — including ships on the Lloyd's shadow fleet register, directly sanctioned tankers, and vessels linked to Iran's oil trade.
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The Hong Kong-flagged LPG tanker TRIMMU 3 — on Lloyd's LPG Shadow Fleet list — approached Larak Island and turned outbound, last seen in the Gulf of Oman. Sanctioned tanker ELPIS slowed and changed course as it left the strait, raising questions about whether it was intercepted or evading interception.
The falsely flagged OSTRIA, claiming to be Botswana-registered, reversed course as the blockade took effect, moved toward Sharjah, and went dark — switching off its AIS tracker.
Bulk carrier CHRISTIANNA reversed after leaving Bandar Khomeini, Iran. Tanker RICH STARRY did the same after leaving Sharjah. Both eventually resumed their original routes.
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"There is no real clear direction of what the blockade looks like. The location of US assets is unknown, and it is unknown where the interdictions will take place," Kelly wrote in a post on X.
He further said he believes the actual enforcement zone is likely farther out to sea. "Personally, I would be surprised if the US has warships in the SoH — so would expect any interdictions to take place in at least the Northern Arabian Sea rather than SoH."
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Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said that the blockade will not impede neutral vessels travelling to or from non-Iranian ports such as those in Iraq, Kuwait or the UAE. Shipping, however, remains restricted due to security risks.
Iran has labelled US action "piracy" and a violation of sovereignty. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned that any military vessel approaching the strait would be seen as a ceasefire violation and met with a "severe response".
Trump has instructed the US Navy to begin clearing sea mines allegedly laid by Iran in the waterway. Several NATO allies, including the UK, France and Germany, have refused to join the blockade, preferring to focus on de-escalation.
US-Iran tensions latest: Despite the US announcing a blockade of Iranian ports, multiple vessels initially turned back, but most of them resumed course within hours. Martin Kelly, Head of Advisory at EOS Risk Group, said that there appears to be no clear direction of the US blockade as a total of 14 vessels have crossed the Strait since April 13.
On April 13, US President Donald Trump ordered a naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz after Iran's "unyielding" refusal to do away with its nuclear ambitions during peace talks in Pakistan.
Kelly said that 6 out of 14 vessels tracked from April 13 were inbound and 7 were outbound — including ships on the Lloyd's shadow fleet register, directly sanctioned tankers, and vessels linked to Iran's oil trade.
DON'T MISS | Iran war was said to be ceasing – is it now set to flare up again? A timeline
The Hong Kong-flagged LPG tanker TRIMMU 3 — on Lloyd's LPG Shadow Fleet list — approached Larak Island and turned outbound, last seen in the Gulf of Oman. Sanctioned tanker ELPIS slowed and changed course as it left the strait, raising questions about whether it was intercepted or evading interception.
The falsely flagged OSTRIA, claiming to be Botswana-registered, reversed course as the blockade took effect, moved toward Sharjah, and went dark — switching off its AIS tracker.
Bulk carrier CHRISTIANNA reversed after leaving Bandar Khomeini, Iran. Tanker RICH STARRY did the same after leaving Sharjah. Both eventually resumed their original routes.
DON'T MISS | US asked Iran to accept 20-yr moratorium on uranium enrichment during peace talks: Report
"There is no real clear direction of what the blockade looks like. The location of US assets is unknown, and it is unknown where the interdictions will take place," Kelly wrote in a post on X.
He further said he believes the actual enforcement zone is likely farther out to sea. "Personally, I would be surprised if the US has warships in the SoH — so would expect any interdictions to take place in at least the Northern Arabian Sea rather than SoH."
DON'T MISS | Chinese-owned blacklisted tanker sails through Strait of Hormuz, defying US blockade on Iran
Meanwhile, the US Central Command (CENTCOM) has said that the blockade will not impede neutral vessels travelling to or from non-Iranian ports such as those in Iraq, Kuwait or the UAE. Shipping, however, remains restricted due to security risks.
Iran has labelled US action "piracy" and a violation of sovereignty. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has warned that any military vessel approaching the strait would be seen as a ceasefire violation and met with a "severe response".
Trump has instructed the US Navy to begin clearing sea mines allegedly laid by Iran in the waterway. Several NATO allies, including the UK, France and Germany, have refused to join the blockade, preferring to focus on de-escalation.