2 Ships From Iran Breach US Blockade Of Strait Of Hormuz Hours After It Takes Effect

Last Updated:April 14, 2026, 18:38 IST

This comes after the US Central Command declared it would target "vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas".

At least two ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz within hours of a US naval blockade taking effect, with a third crossing overnight, according to data from maritime tracking firm Kpler. The blockade, ordered by US President Donald Trump following the collapse of peace talks with Iran over the weekend, came into force on Monday.

Its scope was sweeping as the US Central Command declared it would target “vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas"- which places every ship transiting one of the world’s most strategically vital waterways in the crosshairs of American naval authority.

The first vessel to test that authority was the Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Christianna, which had unloaded corn at the Iranian port of Bandar Imam Khomeini and passed Iran’s Larak Island- just two hours after the blockade came into effect. A second ship, the Comoros-flagged tanker Elpis, cleared the strait at roughly the same time. The Elpis had departed the Iranian port of Bushehr on March 31, carrying 31,000 tonnes of methanol. Overnight, a third vessel- the Chinese tanker Rich Starry- crossed the strait via the Iranian-approved vetting route south of Larak Island, Kpler data showed.

Trump announced the blockade in a post on Truth Social saying, “Effective immediately, the United States Navy, the Finest in the World, will begin the process of BLOCKADING any and all Ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz."

He warned that any Iranian attack boats that challenged the blockade would be destroyed, and suggested the measure could eventually be lifted, “At some point, we will reach an ‘ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO IN, ALL BEING ALLOWED TO GO OUT’ basis, but Iran has not allowed that to happen."

The Strait of Hormuz carries an estimated 20 percent of the world’s oil supply and any sustained disruption to shipping through the waterway would send immediate shockwaves through global energy markets.

News world 2 Ships From Iran Breach US Blockade Of Strait Of Hormuz Hours After It Takes Effect

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