Sanctioned Chinese tanker passes through Strait of Hormuz amid blockade

A Chinese tanker on the US sanctions list transits the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, marking the first known passage during the current blockade.

Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping, a Chinese firm included on the US sanctions list, owns the oil-chemical carrier.

MarineTraffic data showed the vessel transited the strait early Tuesday after it circled the area near the strategic waterway late Monday.

The vessel departed from Sharjah in the UAE and is currently sailing toward its destination in China.

Another tanker that departed from the Kharg Island oil export hub in Iran also appeared in the strait on Monday while it broadcasted false Automatic Identification System (AIS) data to indicate it sailed from Saudi Arabia.

Many vessels have attempted to conceal their movements through the strait since the start of the conflict by broadcasting false AIS data or disabling their signals entirely.