US blockade: Vessel reported exiting Strait of Hormuz

Cairo: A tanker that aborted an attempt to exit the Strait of Hormuz on Monday turned around and transited the waterway early Tuesday, in one of the first tests of the US blockade.

The Rich Starry, a chemical and oil tanker, had been waiting off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, according to shipping data firm Lloyd's List, which cited data from the energy cargo-tracking firm Vortexa.

The US military said on Monday that the blockade applied only to vessels travelling to or from Iranian ports, and it was not immediately clear whether the Rich Starry had earlier docked in Iran or was carrying Iranian oil. US Central Command did not immediately respond to questions about the vessel.