Iranian Tankers Break US Blockade, Leave Persian Gulf for First Time
Three Iranian oil tankers, carrying a total of five million barrels of crude oil, became the first loaded vessels to leave the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz after the imposition of the American blockade. This was reported by the analytical company Kpler to AFP on Friday, writes UNN.
The vessels Deep Sea, Sonia I, and Diona, all under US sanctions, passed through the strategic strait on Wednesday after departing from Iran’s Kharg Island, where they were loaded on April 2, 8, and 9, respectively, according to data from the maritime analytics company. Washington imposed a blockade on Iranian ports starting Monday, aiming to prevent Tehran from exporting oil.
Details of Tanker Departure
The vessels Deep Sea, Sonia I, and Diona, all under US sanctions, passed through the strategic strait on Wednesday after departing from Iran’s Kharg Island, where they were loaded on April 2, 8, and 9, respectively, according to data from the maritime analytics company. Marine tracking sites do not provide fresh AIS transponder data for the three tankers, as their devices are turned off.
According to the Marine Traffic website, all three last transmitted a signal about a month ago in the area of the Strait of Malacca. However, Kpler also used satellite imagery to track the vessels and confirmed to AFP that all of them passed through the strait on Wednesday.
Vessels’ Final Destinations Unknown
Their final destinations are unknown, but these vessels have systematically transported their cargo to the Singapore area for several years. In this area, ship-to-ship transfers are recorded, where oil is transferred to other tankers heading to China, according to Global Fishing Watch and Kpler data.
Each of the three vessels had already transferred a cargo of Iranian crude oil near Singapore in March. The previous cargo of Deep Sea was delivered by the tanker Utopia Quest to the port of Yantai in northern China on March 30. The cargo of Diona was delivered by the vessel Indigo Ray on April 10 to an oil terminal in the port of Dongjiakou, also in northern China.
And the cargo of Sonia I was transferred to the vessel Adeline G, whose destination remained unknown.
US Tactics Against Iranian Boats
The US may use tactics against Iranian boats in the Persian Gulf similar to those used against drug traffickers in the Caribbean Sea.
Original Article: Three Iranian tankers left the Persian Gulf for the first time after the US blockade — Unn