New Delhi, July 4 -- At least eight ships attempting to leave the Persian Gulf along the Omani coast turned back between Friday and Saturday, in the latest sign that reopening the Strait of Hormuz remains complicated by Iran seeking to assert its control over the key waterway. Some of the vessels continued with their transits by switching to a route closer to Iran.

The ships, including oil tankers, bulk carriers and vehicle carriers, were observed sailing toward the Strait of Hormuz, ship-tracking data show. Some had made it as far as the tip of the Musandam Peninsula that sticks out into the chokepoint, before making sharp reversals. One crude tanker, two products tankers, and one bulk carrier then sailed northward to take an outbound r...