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International maritime tracking data on Monday evening showed that an Iranian “shadow fleet” oil tanker had successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz, despite the start of a US-imposed naval blockade on Iranian exports.
The ship-tracking platform Kpler reported that the tanker Elpis, which has been under US sanctions since last year, traversed the strait carrying a shipment of oil, in a direct defiance of the tightened US measures that officially came into force earlier on Monday.
In contrast, other vessels were seen avoiding the crossing. Reports indicated that a tanker registered in Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, changed course towards the United Arab Emirates, while a third vessel halted off the Iranian coast.
These developments come amid heightened tensions in the region. Satellite images showed a decline in traffic through one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes as the new US restrictions began to take effect.
READ: US begins blockading ships entering or exiting Iranian ports
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