Chinese Ships Turn Back from Strait of Hormuz

0:00On March 27, two Chinese Containerships tried to leave the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, but turned back after just a short attempt. The vessels, run by China's COSEO-SCO shipping group, have been stuck in the area since the U.S.-Israeli War, with Iran kicked off on February 28th. Even though Iran recently assured safe passage for Chinese ships, tracking data showed them reversing course around 350 GMT. COSEO-SCO had just resumed bookings for cargo shipments from Asia to places like the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia a couple days earlier. This marked the first big push by a major carrier to test the waters since the conflict started, but it didn't go as planned. Shipping experts say the failed exit highlights that safe passage isn't reliable right now. Iran has hit Gulf-shipping routes, straining hundreds of vessels in around 20,000 seafarers inside. Key energy exports, like Saudi crude oil and Katari gas, have ground to a halt, squeezing

1:01global supplies. A few tankers have slipped through lately, including 10 oil ones that U.S. President Donald Trump called a goodwill move from Iran. Mostly, it's been Iranian oil carriers heading out in bulk ships, bringing in grain and supplies. Iran insists it controls who gets through, blocking anything tied to the U.S.-Israel or their allies. Meanwhile, Chinese officials are pushing for peace talks to get normal traffic flowing again through the strait. Tensions remain high, with no quick fix in sight for the backed up ships. This has been Global News Today, powered by AI.