Wealthy-Star

The 'Rich Starry' sailed unhindered through the Strait of Hormuz on the night of April 13, 2026, enroute to Sohar. The ship sailed a loop when it was closest to Iran. Both the tanker and its owner Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd. are on the US sanctions list, accused of sailing with sanctioned Iranian and Russian products. The 'Rich Starry' had loaded 250,000 barrels of methanol in Hamriyah and has therefore not been in an Iranian port. On April 15 the tanker turned back to the Strait of Hormuz, unable to pass the US blockade. The tanker, earlier known as 'Full Star', was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. The exit was a second attempt for the carrier, which began a first as the US blockade came into effect on April13, only to turn back. It then restarted hours later, and appeared to turn the bend into the eastern side of Hormuz on April 14. The 'Rich Starry' indicated it is sailing under a Malawi flag, but the landlocked African nation in fact has no official registry for oceangoing ships. The US has gathered about 15 warships around the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz. The American blockade of ships that have been in Iranian ports, or were on their way to Iran, came into effect on April 13 at 4 p.m. MEST.