Iran on Tuesday mocked the United States after a sanctioned tanker, Rich Starry, linked to China, crossed the Strait of Hormuz despite Trump's claim that the naval blockade of the key energy chokepoint in the Persian Gulf started on Monday.
Iran took a swipe at the US, saying, "We're told the blockade only applies to countries the US isn't afraid of", adding, "That list used to be long. It now fits on Trump's McDonald's receipt, Delivered by DoorDash."
The vessel, according to maritime traffic data, was in the Gulf of Oman after crossing the Strait of Hormuz successfully.
The vessel was sailing under the flag of Malawi (a landlocked country). According to a report by Bloomberg, the vessel had turned back on Monday just as the blockade came into effect. However, it again started its voyage and passed through the Strait while broadcasting that it had a Chinese crew.
With the transit, Rich Starry became the first vessel to pass the US naval blockade of the Hormuz. The Iranian embassy in Ghana seized an opportunity to taunt Trump.
In a post on X, the embassy said, "The US Navy, with its many 'big beautiful ships,' issued repeated warnings. Reportedly, the tanker's captain upgraded to premium to skip the ads."
Apart from Rich Starry, two other vessels, Peace Gulf and Murlikishan, transited the volatile strait. Peace Gulf was headed to Hamriyh Port while Murlikishan, which was also a US-sanctioned vessel, moved towards Iraq.
The transit of vessels, especially those sanctioned by the US, shows that the naval blockade remained either ineffective or not fully implemented.
The transit of Rich Starry also highlights the importance of Hormuz for China and a new potential conflict which could erupt as a result of a blockade affecting the Chinese vessels.