US-Sanctioned Tanker Signaling Chinese Ownerships Test Trump Blockade With Hormuz Crossing

Following news that two tankers, one of which indicated China as its destination, had turned around earlier in the day after the Trump blockade of the Straits of Hormuz had kicked in, one of them – a tanker linked to China – is making its way through the Strait of Hormuz, testing President Trump’s naval blockade, Bloomberg reported.

Rich Starry, a 188-meter medium-range tanker earlier known as Full Star, was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. It was not clear on this occasion whether it visited Iranian ports before its transit, or is carrying cargo. 

This exit from the Persian Gulf is a second attempt for the carrier in less than 24 hours. Just as the blockade came into effect, the Rich Starry was making its way into the narrow waterway near Iran’s Qeshm Island and turned back, as reported earlier, only to restart its exit just hours later, broadcasting that it has a Chinese owner and crew. While this is a safety mechanism frequently used by vessels not to attract Iran’s attention, it will now test US resolve to challenge vessels tied to the world’s largest oil importer.

Rich Starry is owned by Full Star Shipping Ltd., which shares the same contact details as Shanghai Xuanrun Shpg. Co. Ltd., maritime database Equasis shows. A call made to Shanghai Xuanrun did not get through, while the company didn’t immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The Shanghai-based entity is also sanctioned by the State Department.

Another tanker, the Elpis, headed into the Gulf of Oman via the strait just as the blockade began. Ship-tracking platforms Kpler and Vortexa indicate that Elpis had docked at an Iranian port in the gulf before attempting to pass through Hormuz.  Elpis’s owner is Chartchemical SA that uses its manager, IMS Ltd.’s contact details. A call made to Malaysia-based IMS failed to connect. IMS did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.

No vessels with their transponders on have been seen sailing into the Persian Gulf since the blockade came into effect.

The global shipping community and energy traders have been on edge since Trump announced a naval blockade of Iran beginning on Monday at 10 a.m. New York time, leaving them scrambling to understand the fine print. Most of those reached by Bloomberg across the Middle East and Asia said they would pause moves until the detail of the US blockade, which is meant to restrict Iran’s capacity to sell its oil to China, was clear.

According to unconfirmed reports earlier on Monday, China’s Defense Minister Dong Jun reportedly sent a message to the Trump administration and the U.S. Navy emphasizing Beijing’s intent to continue operating in the Strait of Hormuz and uphold its agreements with Iran. “Our ships are moving in and out of the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. We have trade and energy agreements with Iran. We will respect and honor those agreements and expect others not to interfere in our affairs” adding that “Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz and it is open for us.”

Whether this was true or not, we are about to find out what happens when an “Iran-friendly” ship tried to penetrate Trump’s blockade which according to the WSJ counted more than 15 ships – including an aircraft carrier, multiple guided-missile destroyers, an amphibious assault ship and several other warships in the Middle East – in place to support the blockade. These ships have the ability to launch helicopters that support boarding operations, and some are capable of marshalling commercial vessels to specific areas to hold them in place.