Iranian cargo ship transits Strait of Hormuz defying US blockade

An Iranian-flagged cargo ship is transiting the Strait of Hormuz despite a US blockade of Iranian ports in the critical trade route, according to several reports. The Shoja 2 cargo ship departed from the Shahid Rajaee Port near Bandar Abbas, Iran's semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported. The vessel is reported to be continuing its route towards the Port of Kandla in India. Movement through the Strait of Hormuz has been disrupted since Iran closed the critical trade route in response to joint US-Israeli strikes that started on February 28. Despite a short-term ceasefire, the US has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the strait in a push to get the country to open the route and meet peace negotiation demands. About 20% of all global oil traded passes through the Strait of Hormuz. The closure of the strait has rocked global markets and driven up oil prices. Footage shared by the US Central Command a day earlier showed the moment that US marines board an Iranian tanker after 'blowing hole in engine room'. Marines were shown descending from a US aircraft onto the Iranian tanker as it neared the Strait of Hormuz. It has not been independently verified whether the cargo ship is transiting the strait. Al Jazeera news agency has reported that marine tracking data from MarineTraffic, a maritime analytics provider, shows the ship currently navigating in the strait. According to MarineTraffic, the Shoja 2 is bound for India.