Donald Trump’s attempt to block the Strait of Hormuz is seemingly failing as several Iranian ‘ghost fleet’ vessels have managed to slip past the US military with millions of barrels of crude oil
Donald Trump’s military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has suffered a major blow as dozens of Iranian vessels are said to have slipped past US surveillance.
It is reported around 34 Iranian oil tankers managed to sneak past the US military blockade of the shipping canal, with 19 exiting the Persian Gulf under the nose of Trump’s navy and 15 vessels entertain from the Arabian Sea.
According to The Financial Times, six of those tankers were transporting Iranian crude oil with 10.7 million barrels, approximately worth $910m (£675m).
It comes as Trump ordered the US navy to form its own blockage of the global passageway, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil travels through, as well as Iranian ports it the ongoing stand-off over the Strait.
It also comes after US intercepted and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship over the weekend, which saw Iran retaliate as it seized two other cargo ships and attacked a third on Wednesday morning, claiming the vessels failed to oblige with demands.
Trump claimed on Sunday that the US navy fired, disabled and seized the Tehran ship Touska in the Gulf of Oman, prompting the Iranian regime to vow a retaliation.
In the aftermath of the attacks on three container ships, oil prices once again hiked with Brent crude futures rising up to $99.21 a barrel (£73.44).
Iran also rejected Trump’s offer of a ceasefire extension this week, while the POTUS continues to mobilise the military in its blockage in a bid to choke Iranian trade and apply pressure to negotiations.