Oil Tankers Steer Clear of Hormuz Ahead of US Blockade

By Florence Tan and Jonathan Saul

SINGAPORE/LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) – Two Iranian-linked tankers exited the Gulf on Monday as other vessels began avoiding the Strait of Hormuz after the U.S. said it would start blockading Iranian ports later in the day, unsettling shipping markets at a vital energy chokepoint, shipping data showed.

The move followed the collapse of weekend talks between Washington and Tehran, prompting President Donald Trumpto say on Sunday the U.S. Navy would enforce a blockade targeting vessels entering and leaving Iranian ports, even as Washington stressed it would not restrict transit