Two ships transit Hormuz for Iranian ports despite US blockade: Report

Amid a US blockade on Iranian ports, vessels altered AIS data while crossing the Strait of Hormuz to mask destinations. Limited traffic continues as tensions rise, with Washington deploying forces and warning ships, complicating maritime monitoring and regional trade flows

London: At least two vessels transited through the Strait of Hormuz en route to Iranian ports after altering their Automatic Identification System (AIS) destination data, following a US blockade on ships entering and leaving Iran, British shipping media reported.

The report by British shipping media Lloyd’s List said that following the enforcement of the blockade, some vessels with intended calls at Iranian ports were observed adjusting their AIS destination signals while passing through the Strait of Hormuz, reports Xinhua news agency.

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According to the report, shortly after the blockade took effect, at least two Iran-flagged container ships previously indicating sailing to the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas changed their AIS messages to the more general designation of “PG Ports,” meaning “Persian Gulf ports.”

After successfully passing through the Strait, they continued their journey toward Bandar Abbas on Tuesday, said the report. Citing analysts, the report said such actions could complicate the intelligence collection phase of the US blockade and require additional resources to track and identify vessels involved in maritime traffic to Iranian ports.

The US Central Command said Tuesday that more than 10,000 troops are executing the mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports, targeting vessels of all nationalities without discrimination.

Six merchant vessels have complied with the direction from US forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman, the command said on X. “During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the US blockade,” it said, noting that over 10,000 sailors, marines and airmen, along with over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft, are executing the blockade.

The blockade covers Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, it said. At least nine commercial vessels have crossed the strait since Monday, according to the maritime data firm Kpler.

On Monday, CNN reported that there were at least 15 US ships in the region that could participate in the blockade, though it was unclear where specifically the ships were.

US President Donald Trump threatened on Monday that the US military will “eliminate” any ship of Iran if it comes close to the US blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. “Warning: If any of these ships come anywhere close to our BLOCKADE, they will be immediately ELIMINATED, using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Daily traffic in the strait has fallen to below 10 per cent of pre-conflict levels, from more than 100 vessels before the United States and Israel launched joint military strikes against Iran on February 28.