A ship heading from the United Arab Emirates to Pakistan was forced to turn around near the Strait of Hormuz. On 23rd March (Monday), “SELEN” left Sharjah Anchorage and was on its way to Karachi, reported gCaptain. It followed a standard outbound path northeast before abruptly changing direction as the waterways approached.
“The containership Selen was turned back by the IRGC Navy due to failure to comply with legal protocols and lack of permission to pass through the Hormuz Strait,” informed Iran Embassy in Afghanistan. It was stated that any vessel wishing to transit through the passage must coordinate with the maritime authority of Iran.
The same was reiterated by IRGC’s (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps) Rear Admiral Alireza Tangsiri, saying, “The container ship SELEN was turned back by the IRGC Navy due to failure to comply with legal protocols and lack of permission to pass through the Strait of Hormuz”. He further added, “The passage of any vessel through this waterway requires full coordination with Iran’s maritime authority, and this achievement would not have been possible without the backing of the noble people of Iran.”
The ship reversed course and sailed back instead of moving towards the Gulf of Oman.
Iran authorities say they have turned back vessel Selen bound for Karachi, Pakistan since it did not have approval to pass Hormuz https://t.co/Zumr5GrD6i pic.twitter.com/ghMAJkO0LX
— Sidhant Sibal (@sidhant) March 25, 2026
According to Equasis statistics, the vessel is a small feeder container that was built in 2000 and is registered under the St. Kitts and Nevis flag. Its deadweight is around 6,850 tonnes, and Exceed Oceanic Trading LLC, based in Dubai, is in charge of it while Exceed 2 Oceanic Co. Inc. is the owner. Iran has reportedly started charging some commercial vessels attempting to navigate through the strait up to $2 million per trip, launching an unofficial toll system.
On the other hand, vessels crossing the chokehold are consistently arriving in India. Six LPG tanker ships with the Indian flag are ready to make their journey through the volatile area with no tolls imposed by the Islamic Republic.
