Iran Claims to Turn Back “Indian Tanker” Asserting Oman Corridor is Empty
Iran continues its assertions to be stopping all traffic in the Oman Channel as it seeks a deal over the operation of the Strait of Hormuz. It is claiming to have turned back a tanker while there were reports that a Greek-owned tanker was struck on Tuesday night.
The semi-official news agencies Fars and Mehr carried reports asserting the latest actions against vessels. They quoted an IRGC spokesperson who asserted, “No vessel traffic has been observed along the southern route over the previous 24 hours.”
The report referenced “an Indian tanker” that attempted to transit the southern route inbound to the Gulf. The IRGC said the vessel “received a warning” and turned back. The tanker was identified as Haana.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG tanker Haana (54,368 dwt) is showing as anchored off the Port of Ras Laffan in Qatar. The vessel was earlier registered at the Khor Fakkan anchorage off the UAE. Built in 2008, the vessel has, since September 2025, been reported to be managed from India. Tracking showed it entered the Strait of Hormuz and did turn, returning to the anchorage.
Reports from India indicate that several of the top refineries, along with major energy companies, are studying Iran’s "blacklist" of tankers issued on Sunday, August 23. They are planning to avoid the listed vessels as well as ship-to-ship transfers while determining how Iran will enforce its edict. It is unclear if that led to the Haana aborting its entry into the Gulf or if it was, in fact, bound for Qatar all along.
The AI data intelligence firm Windward also reported that it detected a Panama-flagged product tanker that appeared to attempt and then stop an inbound transit through the Strait of Hormuz on August 26. It said the vessel made a U-turn away from the northern corridor but two hours later appeared to be recommencing its transit.
Iran asserted that it had reached “acceptable” terms to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after around a month of negotiations with Oman. The IRGC asserted that they agreed on division of the waters and revenues to establish a temporary joint operation. The IRGC said if the United States “stops obstructing and returns to the agreement,” the waterway could be opened within the framework with Oman. Reuters, however, quoted officials from Oman saying the talks were continuing.
that matters most
Get the latest maritime news delivered to your inbox daily.
Shipping activity remains restrained according to the data from Kpler. The data showed a slight increase to 10 vessels on Wednesday versus eight on Tuesday. It said that two medium-range fuel tankers, a liquefied petroleum gas carrier, a Panamax-sized tanker, and three Handymax-sized tankers entered the strait while a medium-range fuel tanker, a bitumen tanker, and a bulk carrier exited.
It comes as the U.S. continues to enforce its blockade. U.S. Central Command raised the number of redirected ships to 75 as of August 27 while saying its planes are patrolling the skies over the Middle East.
