Mucahithan Avcioglu
15 April 2026•Update: 15 April 2026
Two empty US-sanctioned very large crude carriers (VLCCs), Alicia and RHN, have crossed the Strait of Hormuz into the Persian Gulf over the past 24 hours, according to public vessel-tracking data, in a sign that shadow-fleet movements tied to Iranian crude exports are continuing despite heightened enforcement pressure in the Gulf.
The Alicia, a VLCC with capacity of roughly 2 million barrels, was reported entering the Gulf through Hormuz on Wednesday while sailing empty, with tracking data showing it was heading inward after previous activity linked to Iranian oil trades, according to tanker trackers data.
RHN, another sanctioned VLCC with similar carrying capacity, was also shown by public tanker-tracking services near the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday under way toward Iranian waters. Public sanctions-tracking databases identify the tanker as subject to US sanctions linked to Iran-related oil activity.
If both vessels load full cargoes, the two tankers could together carry about 4 million barrels of crude, implying a cargo value of around $400 million at roughly $100 per barrel, according to tanker trackers data.
The movements come as shipping through Hormuz remains highly disrupted after Washington imposed a blockade targeting vessels calling at Iranian ports following failed US-Iran talks in Islamabad.
The Strait of Hormuz, which normally handles a major share of global seaborne oil flows, has remained at the center of the latest energy shock triggered by the war that began on Feb. 28.
