Two fuel tankers are attempting to exit the Persian Gulf via the Strait of
Hormuz by sailing close to Iran, the first vessels to test the route since the
US announced a blockade. The New Future, with no clear Iran links, and the
US-sanctioned Auroura departed UAE waters early Monday, heading northeast. They
appear to pass south of Iran’s Larak Island, a route Tehran has recently
recommended for eastbound transit. The blockade followed failed US-Iran talks,
with Trump ordering restrictions on vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports,
though timing of implementation remains unclear.
