International maritime tracking data on Monday evening showed that an Iranian “shadow fleet” oil tanker had successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz, despite the start of a US-imposed naval blockade on Iranian exports. The ship-tracking platform Kpler reported that the tanker Elpis, which has been under US sanctions since last year, traversed the strait carrying a shipment of oil, in a direct defiance of the tightened US measures that officially came into force earlier on Monday. In contrast, other vessels were seen avoiding the crossing. Reports indicated that a tanker registered in Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, changed course towards the United Arab Emirates, while a third vessel halted off the Iranian coast. These developments come amid heightened […]
This article was sourced from Middle East Monitor.
Read Full Article on Middle East Monitor →![A view of the vessels passing through Strait of Hormuz following the two-week temporary ceasefire reached between the United States and Iran on the condition that the strait be reopened, seen in Oman on April 08, 2026. [Shady Alassar - Anadolu Agency]](https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AA-20260408-41051776-41051764-VESSELS_PASS_THROUGH_STRAIT_OF_HORMUZ_FOLLOWING_USIRAN_CEASEFIRE-1.jpg)
