Lead

Several ships have made sharp U-turns at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, and at least three foreign tankers were reportedly turned back by Iranian military forces, according to reports from Iranian state television and ship-tracking data.

Coverage Comparison

TASS, citing CNN and the MarineTraffic real-time ship-tracking service, reported that at least five ships intending to cross the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday instead made sharp U-turns at the entrance and did not proceed through. Among the vessels were two car carriers, a chemical tanker, a product tanker, and a dry cargo ship. The ships had originally planned to pass through the strait closer to Oman, and their maneuvers suggest ongoing difficulties passing through the waterway, according to CNN.

TASS also reported that three other vessels—a dry cargo ship and two tankers designed to carry petroleum products and chemicals—turned back before reaching the strait at roughly the same time, but ultimately crossed it closer to the Iranian coast rather than the Omani coast.

In a separate report, TASS cited Iranian state television as saying that three foreign tankers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without Tehran's permission were turned back by the Iranian military. The tankers tried to traverse the strait via the southern corridor but had to return to the Persian Gulf after a warning.

Key Claims

  • At least five ships made sharp U-turns at the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, having originally planned to pass closer to Oman.
  • Two car carriers, a chemical tanker, a product tanker, and a dry cargo ship were among the vessels that turned back.
  • Three other vessels turned back before reaching the strait but eventually crossed it nearer the Iranian coast.
  • Three foreign tankers were turned back by the Iranian military for attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without Tehran's permission.
  • Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority warned it cannot guarantee safe passage for vessels following routes beyond those authorized by Tehran.