US Blockade Strands 50 Iranian Oil Tankers in the Gulf
The U.S. blockade on Iranian oil exports has left at least 50 Iranian tankers stranded in the Persian Gulf near Iran’s coastline, according to a recent update from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). The blockade, reinstated in mid-July, aims to halt Iran’s oil exports and gain leverage in negotiations following the collapse of the ‘deal to make a deal.’
As of early October, UANI identified these 50 tankers, primarily carrying crude oil, petroleum products, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), anchored along the Iranian coastline. A significant cluster of 16 tankers remains near Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export terminal, with additional vessels positioned east and south of the island.
Despite the blockade, UANI has tracked 39 Iranian oil and petrochemical loadings since July 14, eight of which originated from Kharg Island. However, none of these shipments have successfully bypassed the blockade. Meanwhile, empty Iran-flagged tankers, having completed ship-to-ship transfers, are loitering in anchorages across the Indo-Pacific rather than returning to Iranian ports due to the U.S. restrictions.
Publicly, Iran maintains a defiant stance, asserting it will find ways to evade the blockade. However, vessel-tracking services indicate a sharp decline in Iran’s oil exports. August saw crude oil loadings drop to just 250,000 barrels per day, with September’s loadings reportedly falling to zero for the first time since the war began, according to preliminary estimates by Bloomberg.