Mumbai, May 3: An Iranian super tanker has reportedly evaded a US blockade and made its way to the Asia-Pacific region. According to monitoring firm TankerTrackers.com, the vessel left with approximately 1.9 million barrels of crude oil, valued at around $220 million.
The Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), identified as “Hugh,” is said to belong to the National Iranian Tanker Company. It was last spotted about a week and a half ago near Sri Lanka and is currently heading towards the Rio Archipelago, passing through the Lombok Strait.
TankerTrackers.com noted that when the US Navy announced the blockade of Iranian ports on April 13, the tanker was still within Iranian waters. The vessel had turned off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) after departing the Strait of Malacca for Iran on March 20, making its location difficult to track.
This report comes at a time when Iranian state media claimed on April 29 that at least 52 Iranian ships have successfully breached the US blockade. However, US military officials stated that they have forced around 41 vessels linked to Iran to turn back since the blockade began.
US authorities assert that the blockade is proving effective, causing Iran to suffer billions of dollars in losses. They claim that Iran is struggling to export oil and may be forced to store oil before halting production.
Axios reported on Saturday, citing some officials, that the maritime blockade has resulted in a loss of approximately $4.8 billion (around ₹45,600 crores) in oil revenue for Iran, according to estimates from the US Department of Defense (Pentagon).
My name is Kuldeep Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
