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On April 16, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that Foreign Minister Lavrov stated that the energy crisis caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is due to the 'unjust aggression by the United States and Israel against Iran.' Lavrov noted that prior to the attacks on Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was not blocked, and there were no issues with the transportation of goods. Now, everything faces significant danger stemming from the aggression against Iran by the US and Israel, driven by Israel's obsession to eliminate Iran and the US's prioritization of the oil market. He also mentioned that in response to the issues caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz affecting the export of oil and gas resources, Russia can undoubtedly assist countries that are willing to work with Russia on an equal and mutually beneficial basis to fill the energy supply gap.

Golden Ten Data, April 16 – According to a report released on the 15th by the UK-based maritime analytics company Windward, following the United States’ blockade on all vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports, a landing craft flying the Iranian flag departed from Iran’s Abbas Port on the 14th, crossed the Strait of Hormuz, and entered the Gulf of Oman, clearly breaching the US blockade. The report also states that between the 14th and 15th, a large empty oil tanker, falsely flying a ship flag and subject to US sanctions, was observed passing through Iranian territorial waters and entering the Strait of Hormuz. The vessel may have sailed close to the coast to reduce its exposure risk. Windward similarly considers this a blockade-breaking voyage. The report points out that although the US military’s blockade on Iranian ports has begun to affect vessel movements in real-time, it has not completely stopped ships from navigating the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters. According to Windward’s statistics, transit traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained active on the 14th, but the balance of traffic flow shifted sharply towards outbound direction, with a total of 19 vessels passing through the Strait. Of these, 5 were inbound and 14 outbound; 7 were flying the Iranian flag. The inbound vessels included two oil tankers and three cargo ships, while the outbound vessels included two oil tankers, one bulk carrier, and eleven other cargo ships.

Middle Eastern officials stated that they can immediately begin transporting oil once the Strait of Hormuz is open.