A Chinese-owned tanker under U.S. sanctions has passed the Strait of Hormuz despite the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports that began on Monday.
Citing data from Kpler and MarineTraffic, Reuters reported that the vessel had traversed the chokepoint earlier today. Owned by Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd., the vessel, Rich Starry, became a target for U.S. sanctions because it was used to transport Iranian crude.
The Rich Starry is loaded with 250,000 barrels of methanol that it loaded at the Emirati port of Hamriyah, according to the data. It could be that fact that has ensured the unobstructed passage of the vessel, despite the sanctions. The U.S. Central Command said the blockade would only cover Iranian ports and traffic to and from them.
This is bigger than the files. The US has done insane shit for its whole existence, including mass enslavement and multiple genocides, wars, regime changes, etc. The difference is that Trump is incompetent enough to not put an act the way someone like Obama (or even Biden) did, so it looks out of nowhere or disproportionate. But this isn’t out of the norm for the US government, this has always been their way of doing business.
While I absolutely don’t disagree with you regarding the US doing insane, evil shit, I also think you’re giving this administration WAYYY too much credit. We have never seen incompetence like this in the executive branch. Every move they’ve made since taking office, both foreign and domestic, reeks of desperation and panic, with no plan whatsoever. It is absolute amateurism. So no, I disagree that this is standard operation for the US. It’s much worse.