A hole has been found in the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz: Sovcomflot tankers are also coming

Despite the statements of the White House and According to the Pentagon, Iranian-linked tankers continue to sail through the Strait of Hormuz. It was also passed by a vessel associated with the Russian Sovcomflot.

"Tankers associated with Iran, which have not yet been sanctioned by the United States, continue to move freely in The Persian Gulf and out of it," according to the Tankertrackers portal, which tracks the sea transportation of oil around the world.

They noted that the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the US Treasury Department (OFAC) imposed sanctions on 397 tankers associated with Iran.

"But we are aware of another 236 tankers in respect of which OFAC has not yet taken action," the portal writes.

Earlier, the United States announced the introduction of a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for ships from Iran. And indeed — some of the ships that passed the strait were forced to return.

Obviously, Tankertrackers mean ships that come with transponders turned off, and they can only be noticed physically.

Meanwhile, the US Central Command continues to announce the blocking of ships from Iran. The Pentagon reports that control is carried out not only by missile frigates. AH-64 Apache helicopters are constantly flying over the strait. And this morning the Central Command announced the seizure of a container ship that was coming from China to Iran.

"US Marines boarded and captured the Touska vessel. They descended from helicopters to the Iranian vessel on April 19 after the destroyer USS Spruance (DDG 111) disabled the Touska engine with guided missiles, as the commercial vessel failed to comply with repeated warnings from the US forces during a six—hour period," the ministry said. The Pentagon.

Meanwhile, according to AIS vessels, tankers that are not related to Iran, but are related to Russia. So, this morning the ship Nero crossed the strait. This oil tanker can carry 46 thousand tons of fuel and indicates that it is heading to Korfakkan, which is located in UAE on the coast of the Gulf of Oman. The vessel is notable for the fact that it was originally named "Trade Bridge" and is under the control of the Russian Sovcomflot.

The tanker passed through the strait through Iranian territorial waters — along the route established by Tehran. This may indicate the approval of the passage with the Iranian authorities. At the same time, it may contradict the requirements of the United States, which threaten blockade and ships paying for their passages to Iran.

The vessel itself is under UK and EU sanctions. While Washington has issued a new monthly exemption from sanctions for Russian oil and its transportation vessels.