Even as Iran announced that the Strait of Hormuz was fully open, it remains in a state of disarray as several Indian oil tankers made a U-turn in the Persian Gulf on Saturday, Bloomberg reported, citing marine traffic data. Four Indian and two Greek vessels failed to transit the vital waterway despite Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announcing that Hormuz was “completely open” for commercial vessels for the remaining period of the ceasefire.
It is, however, not known why the vessels halted their journeys and turned back. Hours after Araghchi’s announcement, Iran said the waterway would remain closed if the US did not lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports. US President Donald Trump, while praising Iran’s move to reopen Hormuz, underlined that the blockade of Iranian ports and shipping would remain in place for the moment.
The back-and-forth announcements have raised doubts about the current state of Hormuz.
FOUR INDIAN OIL TANKERS TURN BACK
Data showed the Indian tankers – Sanmar Herald, Desh Garima, Desh Vaibhav, Desh Vibhor – heading towards Hormuz from Dubai before turning around. Presently, most of the tankers have been spotted around Iran’s Qeshm island.
Along with the two Greek tankers (Nissos Keros and Minerva Evropi), the vessels hold about 8.3 million barrels of non-Iranian crude oil. If these six tankers had crossed the Strait of Hormuz, whose blockade by Iran has crippled oil supplies, it would have been the highest crude flows from the Gulf in a single day since the conflict started on February 28.
Shipowners said the vessels received warnings over the radio late on Friday that they would still need clearance from the Iranian navy to transit Hormuz, Bloomberg reported.
So far, eight Indian tankers carrying crude oil and LPG have crossed Hormuz and arrived at various ports in the country. In fact, India is among the countries with the highest number of ships crossing the corridor amid the war. Iran had previously allowed vessels from five “friendly” countries (India, Pakistan, Iraq, Russia and China) to transit the strait.
IRGC, IRAN LEADERS NOT ON SAME BOAT?
A senior Iranian military official clarified that commercial vessels would be allowed to cross Hormuz only along a determined route and with the permission of the IRGC.
The development has raised questions about whether Iran’s political leadership and the powerful IRGC were on the same boat. With most of Iran’s leaders eliminated in US-Israeli strikes during the war, the IRGC has consolidated its grip over the daily functioning of the country.
On Saturday, Iran added a caveat to its Hormuz announcement. All vessels must operate under full Iranian coordination, its Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
“Iran is the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz and will show no leniency in defending its rights,” the spokesperson said.
After Araghchi’s announcement to reopen Hormuz, oil prices tumbled as it suggested that an end to the war was around the corner. A second round of peace talks is scheduled between the US and Iran next week in Pakistan.
However, analysts have warned that normal resumption of passage through Hormuz would take weeks, if not months.
– Ends
Published By:
Abhishek De
Published On:
Apr 18, 2026 13:03 IST
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