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Three thousand vessels blocked in Strait of Hormuz, transportation costs rise by 200%

Reports from TASS indicate that 3,000 vessels are blocked in the Strait of Hormuz amid the US-Israel-Iran conflict, with transportation costs rising over 200%. Chinese officials blame US and Israeli military actions for the disruption, while Iran has allowed passage to friendly nations.

By Tertius News AI Desk 1 outlet · 4 articles Version 1 Coverage Mar 31 – Apr 7, 2026 Published Aug 13

Lead

A reported blockade in the Strait of Hormuz has left approximately 3,000 vessels stranded, according to Russian state news agency TASS, citing representatives of transport companies operating in the port of Dubai. The same reports indicate that transportation costs have surged by more than 200% and delivery times have tripled as companies reroute cargo through overland paths across the Arabian Peninsula.

The development comes amid an ongoing conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran, which began on February 28, according to TASS. The agency reports that major Iranian cities, including Tehran, have been struck, and that Iran has closed the strait to vessels linked to the US, Israel, and countries that supported aggression against the Islamic Republic.

Coverage Comparison

All available coverage of this story comes from TASS, the Russian state news agency. The reports consistently attribute the blockade to US and Israeli military actions against Iran, citing statements from Chinese officials. No independent or Western sources have been included in the provided material, so the information should be considered as originating from a single outlet with a state-affiliated perspective.

Key Claims

Blockade and impact on shipping: TASS reports that 3,000 vessels are blocked in the Strait of Hormuz, citing transport companies in Dubai. The agency also states that transportation costs have risen by more than 200% and delivery times have tripled, though these figures are attributed to unnamed representatives of transport companies and have not been independently verified.

Cause of the blockade: Chinese officials, including Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning and Permanent Representative to the UN Fu Cong, are quoted by TASS as saying that the blockade stems from "illegal military actions" by the US and Israel against Iran. Mao Ning stated that "the root cause of the obstacles to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz is the illegal military actions of the United States and Israel against Iran."

Iran's closure of the strait: TASS reports that Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to vessels linked to the US, Israel, and countries that supported aggression against Iran. The agency also claims that several tankers were attacked for passing through the strait without Iran's permission, though no specific incidents or casualties are detailed.

Exemptions for friendly states: According to TASS, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on March 25 that Iran had allowed passage through the strait to vessels from friendly countries, including Russia, India, Iraq, China, and Pakistan.

UN charter violation: Fu Cong is quoted as saying that the US and Israel violated the UN charter by launching military strikes against Iran without Security Council authorization. He also called for the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Gulf states to be fully respected.

Perspectives

Chinese/Russian official view: The blockade is a direct consequence of US and Israeli aggression against Iran, which is described as illegal under international law. The solution, according to this perspective, is an immediate cessation of hostilities and a return to diplomacy.

Iranian perspective (as reported by TASS): Iran's closure of the strait is a defensive measure in response to US-Israeli attacks, and the country has sought to minimize disruption for friendly nations by allowing them passage.

Note on sourcing: All information in this article is derived from TASS reports. The agency's state-affiliated status and the lack of corroboration from independent or Western sources mean that the claims should be treated with caution. The figure of 3,000 blocked vessels and the 200% cost increase, in particular, have not been verified by other outlets.

How this outlet told it

TASS — English as of Apr 7, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC

Framing: China blames US and Israel for Hormuz Strait blockade — Critical of US and Israel

Facts Included:

China's Permanent Representative Fu Cong stated that the blocking of the Hormuz Strait is due to US and Israel's military actions against Iran
The US and Israel started a war against Iran, hitting major cities, including Tehran
Iran closed the Hormuz Strait for ships associated with the US, Israel, and states that supported aggression against Iran
Several tankers were attacked during the conflict for passing through the strait without Iran's permission
Iran allowed passage through the Strait of Hormuz to friendly states, including Russia, India, Iraq, China, and Pakistan

Read the source article →

TASS — English as of Apr 2, 2026, 3:15 PM UTC

Framing: US and Israel responsible for Hormuz Strait blockade — Neutral/Critical of US and Israel

Facts Included:

The US and Israel are responsible for the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz
The root cause of the obstacles to navigation is the illegal military actions of the US and Israel against Iran
The US and Israel launched a war against Iran, hitting major cities, including Tehran
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps retaliated with sweeping attacks on Israel

Read the source article →

TASS — English as of Mar 31, 2026, 12:15 PM UTC

Framing: Conflict around Iran blocks vessels in Hormuz Strait — Informative/Neutral

Facts Included:

Three thousand vessels have been blocked in the Strait of Hormuz due to the conflict around Iran
Transport companies are forced to restructure routes, leading to increased transportation costs and delivery times
The US and Israel began a war against Iran, hitting major cities, including Tehran
Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to vessels linked to the US, Israel, and countries that supported aggression against Iran

Read the source article →

TASS — English as of Apr 7, 2026, 6:45 PM UTC

Framing: US and Israel violate UN charter with aggression against Iran — Critical of US and Israel

Facts Included:

The US and Israel have violated the United Nations' charter with their aggression against Iran
The US and Israel launched military strikes against Iran without authorization from the Security Council
China's Permanent Representative Fu Cong stated that the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of the Gulf States must be fully respected

Read the source article →

What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimThe United States and Israel started a war against Iran, hitting major cities, including Tehran.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 7, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimThe blocking of the Hormuz Strait stems from the military actions of the United States and Israel against Iran.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 7, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimIran closed the Hormuz Strait for ships associated with the United States, Israel, and states that supported aggression against Iran.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 7, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimSeveral tankers were attacked during the conflict for passing through the strait without Iran's permission.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 7, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimIran allowed passage through the Strait of Hormuz to friendly states, including Russia, India, Iraq, China, and Pakistan.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 7, 2026, 7:15 PM UTC
ClaimThree thousand vessels have been blocked in the Strait of Hormuz due to the conflict around Iran.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Mar 31, 2026, 12:15 PM UTC
ClaimTransport companies are forced to restructure routes, leading to increased transportation costs and delivery times.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Mar 31, 2026, 12:15 PM UTC
ClaimThe United States and Israel have violated the United Nations' charter with their aggression against Iran.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 7, 2026, 6:45 PM UTC
ClaimChina's Permanent Representative Fu Cong stated that the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of the Gulf States must be fully respected.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via TASS — English as of Apr 7, 2026, 6:45 PM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

1 outlet · 4 articles consulted: TASS — English 9 claims extracted Version 1 Written 2026-08-13