US Blockade Leaves Dozens of Iranian Oil Tankers Idle

The United States' blockade of Iran has led to a significant buildup of oil tankers along the country's coast, according to a report by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). As of October 5, at least 50 tankers loaded with Iranian oil remain anchored near the nation, a figure that has remained largely unchanged for the past two months. These vessels primarily carry crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied petroleum gas.

Outside the Gulf, empty vessels are avoiding Iranian ports due to the US blockade, with 20 Iran-flagged ships currently off Sri Lanka and one off Oman. UANI, a non-partisan policy organization, described this as a strategic holding pattern rather than routine transit. The blockade aims to exert economic pressure on Tehran, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claiming that Iran would have no oil on the water this week 'for the first time in history,' as reported by Axios.

Within the Gulf, 11 laden tankers are anchored east of Kharg Island, Iran's main export terminal, with another five further south. No tankers were observed loading at Kharg on Monday, UANI noted. Preliminary vessel-tracking estimates compiled by Bloomberg indicate that Iran did not load any crude oil onto tankers in September, marking the first such instance since the war began in February. The US military reports that a total of 130 vessels have been redirected due to the blockade.