A second supertanker subject to US sanctions entered the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz, despite a US blockade on vessels bound for Iranian ports, according to shipping data cited by Reuters.
US President Donald Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the US and Iran failed to reach an agreement.
US Central Command said on Wednesday that 10 ships had been turned away and that no ships had been able to pass the blockade since it began on Monday.
However, Iran's Fars news agency reported on Wednesday that an Iranian supertanker under US sanctions had crossed the strait to Iran's Imam Khomeini port despite the blockade. Fars did not identify the tanker or provide additional details about its route.
The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) tanker “RHN” entered the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, according to data provided by LSEG and Kpler. It was not immediately clear where the VLCC, which has a capacity to carry 2 million barrels of oil, was headed.
The tanker's entry into the Persian Gulf came a day after the US-sanctioned VLCC Alicia crossed the Strait of Hormuz. Alicia is heading to Iraq, according to Kpler data.
Both tankers have carried Iranian oil in recent years, according to Kpler data.
Among the ships forced to turn back was the US-sanctioned oil tanker Rich Starry, which returned to the Persian Gulf on Wednesday, a day after leaving the area.
US threatens sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil
The US has warned it could impose secondary sanctions on buyers of Iranian oil, in an apparent effort to shore up its position ahead of new negotiations, just weeks after Washington eased energy sanctions against Iran.
Iran may allow ships to pass through the Omani side of the Strait of Hormuz without risk of attack as part of proposals it has made in negotiations with the US, provided an agreement is reached to prevent a resumption of conflict, a Reuters source said.
The US embargo is expected to reduce Iran's crude exports, although the OPEC producer could maintain its current output of 3.5 million barrels per day (bpd) for several weeks by storing oil in onshore tanks, analysts said.
Iran exported 1.84 million bpd of crude in March and delivered 1.71 million bpd so far in April, compared with an average of 1.68 million bpd in 2025, according to Kpler data.
Optimism rose on Thursday that the Middle East war may be nearing an end, as a key Pakistani mediator is in Tehran and the Donald Trump administration raised hopes of a deal to open the crucial Strait of Hormuz.
Photo: Jose Gil | Dreamstime.com
