Iran has intensified secret oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz amid the renewal of the US maritime blockade. The country managed to export a significant amount of crude by loading six supertankers that are under American sanctions.
According to Bloomberg, last week, supertankers with a capacity of carrying up to 12 million barrels of crude oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz to the Gulf of Oman. The vessels turned off their transponders to avoid tracking. These voyages were carried out after the United States revoked a temporary permit for Tehran to export oil, which occurred on July 7. This happened just before the US restoration of the maritime blockade of Iranian ports.
US President Donald Trump announced the restoration of the maritime blockade, demanding 20% compensation for cargos that pass under the protection of American forces, but the mechanism for collecting this compensation was not clarified. Maritime activity through the Strait of Hormuz sharply decreased as most vessels in the region do not disclose their routes amidst the increasing danger.
Despite the challenging conditions, Iran managed to export about 57 million barrels of crude oil between the two periods of active blockade. Advanced American actions were prompted by renewed tensions in the region and Trump’s official notice to Congress about resuming military actions against Iran.
| Event | Date | Oil Quantity (million barrels) |
|---|---|---|
| Secret export through Hormuz | After July 7 | 12 |
| Total export between blockades | Until September | 57 |
