Strait of Hormuz Tensions Escalate: US Claims "Zero Breakthrough," Iran Bypasses Blockade with Supertanker

Published: Apr 15, 2026 20:09

Save

The offensive and defensive game over the Strait of Hormuz is entering a new phase. On the first day of the blockade's implementation, the US military claimed a "zero breakthrough," but the actual situation was far more complex than this characterization suggested.According to Xinhua News Agency, Iran would use alternative ports other than its southern ports to bypass the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, according to Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency, a US-sanctioned Iranian supertanker traversed the Strait of Hormuz from the open sea into Iranian waters with its positioning system kept on throughout the voyage, "arriving at its destination smoothly." The vessel was described as a very large crude carrier capable of transporting 2 million barrels of crude oil.

Data Source Statement: Except for publicly available information, all other data are processed by SMM based on publicly available information, market communication, and relying on SMM‘s internal database model. They are for reference only and do not constitute decision-making recommendations.

For any inquiries or to learn more information, please contact: lemonzhao@smm.cn

For more information on how to access our research reports, please contact:service.en@smm.cn

Related News

55 mins ago

Geopolitical Risk Uncertainty Persisted, the Most-Traded BC Copper Contract Stabilized [SMM BC Copper Commentary]

55 mins ago

3 hours ago

Data: SHFE, DCE market movement (Apr 17)

The following table shows the ferrous and nonferrous metals movement on the SHFE and DCE on 17 Apr , 2026

3 hours ago

Expectations of U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Heat Up, Copper Prices Recover Significantly During the Week [SMM Macro Weekly Review]

3 hours ago