Strait of Hormuz fully closed, forcing oil tankers to turn back

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Strait of Hormuz fully closed, forcing oil tankers to turn back

2026-04-09 11:13 Last Updated At：04-10 11:04

Vessels movement through the Strait of Hormuz following a U.S.-Iran ceasefire was halted, with the strategic waterway now fully closed and oil tankers forced to turn back, according to Iran's state-run Press TV.

Maritime tracking data from MarineTraffic showed that two vessels, the Greek-owned bulk carrier NJ Earth and the Liberian-flagged vessel Daytona Beach, became the first ships to transit the strait on Wednesday following the two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran on Tuesday.

However, the situation deteriorated sharply later after Israel launched large-scale strikes across Lebanon which has killed at least 254 people.

According to Iran's semi-official Fars news agency, Iran halted all oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz in response to the attacks.

The Press TV said the strait was fully closed, forcing several tankers that had begun heading toward the exit to reverse course and return deeper into the Persian Gulf.

Shipping analytics firm Kpler reported that, as of Tuesday, more than 1,000 vessels, including 187 laden tankers, were still waiting in the region. Even under normal navigation conditions, it takes more than two weeks for these ships to queue up and leave the strait.

Iran's Ports and Maritime Organization on Wednesday released a safe navigation chart for the Strait of Hormuz, advising all vessels to strictly follow designated routes to avoid the risk of mines.

Shenzhou-23 astronauts board spaceship ahead of launch

The three astronauts of the Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceflight mission have boarded the spacecraft for a flight to China’s Tiangong space station.

The Shenzhou-23 crewed spaceship is scheduled to blast off at 23:08 Beijing Time (15:08 GMT) from northwest China's Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center.

The three Chinese astronauts, commander Zhu Yangzhu, spacecraft pilot Zhang Zhiyuan and payload specialist Lai Ka-ying, climbed aboard the spaceship with the help of technicians.

Following the launch, the astronauts will complete an in-orbit rotation with the outgoing Shenzhou-21 crew, and one of them will conduct a one-year in-orbit stay, double the usual duration of previous Shenzhou missions.

Notably, astronaut Lai Ka-ying is also the first astronaut from China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

Shenzhou-23 marks the 40th flight of China's manned spaceflight program, and the seventh manned flight mission since the Tiangong space station entered its application and development phase in late 2022.