Iranian Oil Shipments Evade US Blockade as Reuters Reveals Details of Covert Fuel Exports
EghtesadOnline :Reuters has reported that despite the US naval blockade and the near-total halt in Iranian crude oil exports, at least nine tankers carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and jet fuel have successfully transported Iranian cargoes since July.
The US naval blockade, which has halted most of Iran’s oil exports, has failed to completely prevent petroleum products from leaving the country.
According to Reuters, citing four sources involved in maritime security and vessel-tracking data, Iran has recently concealed some of its cargoes amid a growing number of ship-to-ship transfers involving other Gulf producers near the coast of Oman.
According to an analysis by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), at least eight tankers carrying Iranian LPG have left the Gulf of Oman since mid-July. The volume of these shipments is estimated at approximately 4.1 million barrels.
Satellite imagery and analysis by maritime intelligence firm SynMax also indicate that an Iranian tanker carrying jet fuel reached Myanmar in September.
Most LPG cargoes have been transferred to waters off Malaysia after passing through the blockade zone, where they are believed to be destined for China through ship-to-ship transfers.
US Says Blockade Remains in Force
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) has maintained that the naval blockade of Iran remains in effect. According to the command, US forces have disabled four commercial vessels and forced another 135 ships to turn back over the past three months.
A US military official also told Reuters that the passage of vessels does not necessarily mean the blockade has been circumvented, as some ships may be permitted to transit following document checks or for humanitarian reasons.
Crude Oil Exports Remain at a Standstill
According to data from analytics firm Kpler, Iran’s crude oil exports fell to zero in September, an unprecedented development since the company began tracking shipments in 2013.
However, Reuters, citing Torbjorn Soltvedt, a senior Middle East analyst at Verisk Maplecroft, reported that mounting economic pressure could push Iran to take greater risks to export refined petroleum products.
Soltvedt suggested that jet fuel could become one of Iran’s export options, as sanctions have grounded an increasing number of Iranian aircraft, potentially creating a surplus of the fuel at domestic refineries.
Overall, the available evidence points to limited shipments of certain petroleum products continuing to leave Iran. However, there are still no signs that Iranian crude oil exports have returned to their pre-blockade levels./Reuters