China has defied President Donald Trump by sending one of its tankers through the Strait of Hormuz while slamming the US blockade as “dangerous and irresponsible”.
The vessel, called Rich Starry, sailing under the Malawi flag is owned by Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd.
The tanker is sanctioned by the United States, but appears to have passed through the critical shipping lane with no issues on Tuesday.
Data from MarineTraffic and Kpler show the vessel’s journey.
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The US had previously sanctioned the ship as it was transporting Iranian crude oil.
It is a medium-sized tanker, holding roughly 250,000 barrels of methanol, according to shipping data, loading the cargo at its last port of call, Hamriyah in the UAE.
This comes after Mr Trump declared on Sunday that the US navy would be implementing a blockade on “any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”.
He went further on Monday to say the US would block vessels “entering or exiting Iranian ports”.
Donald Trump's 'blockade' is in place despite a sanctioned Chinese vessel to pass through the Strait of Hormuz (stock image)
|GETTY
China criticised the blockade, calling it “dangerous and irresponsible” earlier today, after the US President had warned the navy would sink any vessels that were going to dock in any of Iran’s ports.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Guo Jiakun said at a press conference: “The US side has stepped up its military deployment and taken targeted blockade actions.
“It will only intensify the conflict, increase tension, disrupt the already fragile cease-fire situation, and further impact the safety of strait traffic.
“This is dangerous and irresponsible behavior.”
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The Chinese-owned vessel, Rich Starry's route through the Strait of Hormuz
|MARINE TRAFFIC
He concluded that China was urging all sides to “abide strictly” to the ceasefire.
Saudi Arabia has also weighed in on the US’s blockade, asking Mr Trump to abandon it and return to diplomacy as concerns grow that Iran will retaliate on other critical shipping lanes, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Negotiations between the US and Iran broke down on Sunday, after being hosted by the Pakistani Government in Islamabad.
Talking points within the failed negotiations included a 20-year ban on Iranian nuclear proliferation, to which Iran responded saying they would agree to a five-year suspension, reports the New York Times.
Consequently, the US President announced a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz in a bid to take back control of the critical shipping lane, whose closure has crippled global oil supplies over the past few weeks.
The President also threatened to bomb Iran's water treatment plants and other critical infrastructure.
Oil prices retreated back to under $100 a barrel on Tuesday morning.
Brent crude reduced to one per cent lower sitting at $98.3 a barrel, having creeped higher on Monday as the markets responded to the weekend's events.
The Chancellor, Rachel Reeves said that UK households and businesses were bearing the brunt of Mr Trump's actions in the Middle East.
She said, speaking to the Mirror: "This is a war that we did not start. It was a war that we did not want.
“I feel very frustrated and angry that the US went into this war without a clear exit plan, without a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve.”
The US President defended his actions in the Gulf, saying: “We can’t let a country blackmail or extort the world because that’s what they’re doing.”