The US military’s naval blockade began on April 13th.Image: vesselfinder.com
April 23, 2026, 2:58 p.mApril 23, 2026, 2:59 p.m
Despite the US naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, some ships with connections to Iran are passing through the strait. 34 sanctioned tankers or tankers with ties to Iran passed through the US naval blockade area from April 13 to 21.
The data provider Vortexa writes this in a report. The US military’s naval blockade began on April 13th. It is directed against ships entering or leaving Iranian ports.
According to an assessment by maritime data provider Lloyd’s List Intelligence, at least 26 ships from the so-called shadow fleet had crossed the blockade by Monday. The maritime software provider AXSMarine wrote that most of the traffic through the Strait of Hormuz still comes from ship operators who are sanctioned or have opaque ownership structures.
Iranian media had repeatedly stated that the country’s ships had sailed through the US naval blockade. The reports could not be independently confirmed.
The US military leadership Centcom had contradicted reports that its own naval blockade was permeable. “As part of the US blockade against Iran, US forces have ordered 29 ships to turn around or return to port,” said a statement on X. Reports of specific ships that had sailed through the blockade were false.
Iran has repeatedly emphasized that the US naval blockade is an obstacle to further negotiations. US President Donald Trump maintained the blockade despite unilaterally extending the ceasefire on Tuesday. (sda/dpa)