DUBAI — A US-sanctioned tanker linked to China is making its way through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, testing President Donald Trump’s naval blockade, according to shipping data cited by Bloomberg. The Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker earlier known as Full Star, was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. It is not clear on this occasion whether it visited Iranian ports before its transit, or is carrying cargo. Data from LSEG, MarineTraffic and Kpler showed the Rich Starry would be the first vessel to make it through the strait and to exit the Gulf since the blockade began. The Chinese-owned tanker with Chinese crew on board is carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol on board, according to the data. It loaded the cargo at its last port of call — Hamriyah in the United Arab Emirates. The tanker and its owner Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co. Ltd. were sanctioned by the United States for dealing with Iran. The company could not be immediately reached for comment. Another US-sanctioned tanker Murlikishan also headed into the strait on Tuesday, LSEG data showed. The empty handysize tanker is expected to load fuel oil at Iraq on April 16, Kpler data showed. The vessel, formerly known as MKA, has transported Russian and Iranian oil. — Agencies
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