English Maritime Analysis Company: Vessels Break Through US Blockade of Iranian Ports

The maritime analysis company Windward, based in the UK, released a report on the 15th stating that after the US imposed a blockade on all ships entering and leaving Iranian ports, a landing craft flying the Iranian flag departed from the port of Abbas in Iran on the 14th, passed through the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Gulf of Oman, clearly bypassing the US blockade. The report also stated that between the 14th and 15th, an empty, falsely flagged, and US-sanctioned super tanker was observed sailing through Iranian territorial waters into the Strait of Hormuz. The ship may have sailed along the coastline to minimize exposure to risks. Windward also believes this to be a breakthrough in the blockade. The report pointed out that although the US blockade of Iranian ports has begun to have real-time effects on ship behavior, it has not completely stopped the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters. According to Windward's statistics, on the 14th, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained active, but the balance of traffic flow has shifted dramatically towards the outbound direction, with a total of 19 vessels passing through the strait. Among them, 5 entered and 14 exited, with 7 flying the Iranian flag. Entering vessels included two oil tankers and three cargo ships, while exiting vessels included two oil tankers, one bulk carrier, and 11 other cargo ships.