Strait of Hormuz deadlock deepens as U.S. blockade halts shipping
Strait of Hormuz deadlock deepens as U.S. blockade halts shipping
in
International Shipping News
27/04/2026
The crisis at the Strait of Hormuz has entered a perilous new phase, with daily commercial transits plummeting to near zero as a direct result of the intensifying standoff between Washington and Tehran.
What began as a strategic bid by President Trump to exert pressure on Iran via a naval blockade has instead transformed into a total maritime shutdown, leaving global energy supply chains paralyzed.
Shipping executives now warn that even if a diplomatic breakthrough occurs, the logistical path toward a return to normal operations is likely months away, cementing the Strait as the primary flashpoint of the eight-week conflict.
An expanding theater of risk
The imposition of the U.S. blockade has fundamentally altered the geography of the conflict, pushing the theater of operation far beyond the Persian Gulf.
By interdicting Iran-linked vessels in international waters, the U.S.
Shipping Traffic Through Hormuz Remains Muted With No US-Iran Deal in Sight, Data Shows
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, April 27, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Shipping Traffic Through Hormuz Remains Muted With No US-Iran Deal in Sight, Data Shows
Reuters
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April 27, 2026
LONDON, April 27 (Reuters) – At least seven ships – mainly dry bulk vessels – have crossed the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours, in line with muted activity in recent days, shipping data showed on Monday, while
talks
between Iran and the United States have stalled.
The vessels included ships leaving from Iraqi ports and one dry bulk vessel from an Iranian port, according to ship tracking data from Kpler and separate satellite analysis from data analytics specialists SynMax.
Shipping traffic passing through the crucial ?waterway at the entrance to the Gulf during an
uneasy ceasefire
between Washington and Tehran represents a fraction of the average 140 daily passages before
the Iran war
began on February 28.
The U.S. Central Command has redirected 37 v
Iran-Linked Oil Tankers Sail West After Boarding by US
forces board the stateless tanker Tifani (IMO: 9273337) without incident inside the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command area of responsibility. Photo from Department of War video
Iran-Linked Oil Tankers Sail West After Boarding by US
Bloomberg
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April 27, 2026
By Julian Lee
Apr 27, 2026 (Bloomberg) –Two Iran-linked oil tankers that US forces interdicted near Sri Lanka last week are now sailing west.
US forces carried out “maritime interdiction and right-of-visit boarding” of two oil supertankers, the
Tifani
and the
Phonix
on April 21 and 23 respectively, the Pentagon said last week, without elaborating what would happen next to the vessels.
Twin Hijackings Off Somalia Signal Dangerous Escalation in Pirate Resurgence
The Iranian-flagged dhow ALWASEEMI, pictured by EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta
Twin Hijackings Off Somalia Signal Dangerous Escalation in Pirate Resurgence
Mike Schuler
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April 27, 2026
Fresh concerns over a widening resurgence in Somali piracy intensified over the weekend after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported two apparent vessel hijackings off Somalia within hours of each other, in what could mark a troubling shift from opportunistic attacks to successful seizures of commercial ships.
The incidents come just weeks after European naval forces disrupted the hijacking of the Iranian fishing dhow
ALWASEEMI
, which pirates had sought to use as a mothership for attacks on merchant shipping—an episode already viewed as a warning sign that pirate action groups were probing for openings in the western Indian Ocean.
According to
UKMTO Warning 046-26
, unauthorized persons took control of a cargo vessel about six nautical miles northeast of Garacad on April 26 and
Dual Hormuz Blockade Cuts Ship Transits to Near Zero
Vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, Musandam, Oman, April 27, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
Dual Hormuz Blockade Cuts Ship Transits to Near Zero
Bloomberg
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April 27, 2026
By Prejula Prem and Julian Lee (Bloomberg) — The
Strait of Hormuz
remains effectively shut to international shipping as the double blow of Iranian and US blockades leaves the key energy corridor largely dormant.
A tiny trickle of vessels, most with links to Iran, was observed in recent days. Traffic is generally steering clear after tensions in the waterway escalated last week as Iranian gunboats fired on ships, while US forces seized two oil tankers.
Three Iran-linked ships exited the Persian Gulf through the strait on Monday morning, vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg show.
Oil Prices Hit Two-week High as Iran Talks Stall and Strait Shipments Lag
Luojiashan tanker sits anchored in Muscat, as Iran vows to close the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Muscat, Oman, March 7, 2026. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
Oil Prices Hit Two-week High as Iran Talks Stall and Strait Shipments Lag
Reuters
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April 27, 2026
NEW YORK, April 27 (Reuters) – Oil prices climbed about 2% to a two-week high on Monday as peace talks between the U.S. and Iran stalled and shipments through the
Strait of Hormuz
remained limited, keeping global oil supplies tight.
Brent futures LCOc1 rose $2.16, or 2.1%, to $107.49 a barrel at 10:01 a.m.
ARA fuel oil stocks decline by 14% in April
ARA fuel oil stocks decline by 14% in April
in
Port News
27/04/2026
The ARA’s independently held fuel oil stocks have dropped by 14% in April so far, according to Insights Global data.
Changes in monthly average ARA stocks from March to April (so far):
Fuel oil stocks down 710,000 bbls to 4.44 million bbls
Gasoil stocks down 1.37 million bbls to 14.76 million bbls
The ARA hub has imported 276,000 b/d of fuel oil in April thus far, rising from March’s 207,000 b/d, according to data from cargo tracker Vortexa.
Most cargoes arrived from Denmark (16%), Mexico (12%) and Venezuela (11%).
The region has exported 172,000 b/d of fuel oil so far this month, down from 184,000 b/d in March.
Majority of the fuel oil cargoes have been shipped to the U.S. (27%) and Russia (24%), while South Africa has also taken some cargoes (14%).
The region’s independent gasoil inventories – which include diesel and heating oil – have decreased by 8% this month, compared to March. The ARA hub has imported 172,000 b
Congratulations on results day for first cohort of seafarers taking digital assessments
Congratulations on results day for first cohort of seafarers taking digital assessments
in
International Shipping News
27/04/2026
The first seafarers to take new digital assessments that are being rolled out by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) have been congratulated as they opened their results this week.
Around 170 candidates were tested in April 2026 through the secure web-based platform which is replacing traditional written exams with flexible, digital assessments.
The groundbreaking assessments, which apply to Officer of the Watch (Unlimited) and Chief Mate (Unlimited) Certificates of Competency, mark a significant milestone in the modernisation of UK seafarer certification.
Shajan Lukose, MCA Head of Nautical Examiners, said: “On behalf of everyone at the MCA, I’d like to congratulate the candidates who have broken new ground by completing their Certificate of Competency assessments on the digital assessment platform.
“The system is not only simpler and more accessible f
IMO Chief Warns ‘No Safe Transit’ in Hormuz, Rejects Tolls at U.N. Security Council
IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez opens the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) 84th Session at IMO Headquarters in London, April 27, 2026. Photo courtesy IMO
IMO Chief Warns ‘No Safe Transit’ in Hormuz, Rejects Tolls at U.N. Security Council
Mike Schuler
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April 27, 2026
The head of the
International Maritime Organization
used a rare appearance before the United Nations Security Councilon Monday to deliver some of his strongest statements yet that the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz remains fundamentally unresolved, rejecting transit tolls as unlawful, calling for mine clearance, and warning that commercial confidence cannot return while safe navigation remains in doubt.
The remarks by IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez came after several days of increasingly blunt statements from the U.N.
Trump Expands Offshore Wind Buyout Strategy With New Deals Steering Capital Into LNG and Oil
A wind turbine Dominion Energy’s two turbine Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project. Photo: Dominion Energy
Trump Expands Offshore Wind Buyout Strategy With New Deals Steering Capital Into LNG and Oil
Mike Schuler
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April 27, 2026
The Trump administration has expanded its newfound strategy of unwinding offshore wind development through negotiated buyouts, announcing two new agreements that will see two projects give up federal offshore leases and redirect nearly $885 million into liquefied natural gas and conventional energy projects.
The agreements with Bluepoint Wind and Golden State Wind, announced Monday by the U.S. Department of the Interior, follow a precedent-setting
$928 million deal struck last month
with TotalEnergies and suggest what began as a one-off settlement is hardening into a broader policy tool as the administration reshapes U.S.