Iran is consolidating control of Hormuz with island checkpoints, diplomatic deals 

Iran is enforcing a multi-tiered system for clearing vessels through the Strait of Hormuz as nations try to replenish dwindling energy supplies throttled by the war

Children play in the water along the shore as a mix of bulk carriers, cargo ships, and service vessels sit offshore in the Strait of Hormuz off Bandar Abbas, Iran, Sunday, April 26, 2026.(Razieh Poudat/ISNA via AP)

The tanker crew gathered their courage and carefully navigated along a route designated by Iran, hugging the coastline and manoeuvring their hulking vessel between island checkpoints through the Strait of Hormuz.

The 330-metre-long Agios Fanourios I, laden with Iraqi crude oil and bound for Vietnam, had been bottled up off the coast of Dubai since late April. But on May 10, it set off for the strait after a direct deal with Iran overseen by Iraq’s prime minister.