4 Iranian-Flagged Oil Tankers Leave Strait Of Hormuz Despite U.S Naval Blockade

Four Iranian oil tankers passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, a first since the US imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports.

The data was first published by a maritime firm which tracks ships transporting raw materials, using satellite imagery.

It revealed that the tankers named Hilda I, the Amber, the Silvia 1, and the Happiness I were carrying a total of 7 million barrels of oil.

The tankers loaded their cargo in April from Iran’s Kharg Island, the primary oil terminal through which 90% of its crude oil is shipped.

The tankers crossed the strategic waterway by keeping their AI transponders off, enabling them to dodge U.S warships deployed in the region.

Washington had stated that till now, it had redirected or prevented 122 ships from entering or exiting Iranian ports.

According to reports, the 4 oil tankers usually transport crude oil from Iran to offshore areas around the coasts of Singapore and Malaysia, where the cargo is transferred at sea to other tankers which then deliver it to their final destination, usually China.

Iran had to resort to ship-to-ship transfers of oil at sea to evade sanctions imposed by the West and the U.S.

The tankers have continued their usual operations even after the U.S and Israeli attacks on Iran, but stopped operations in mid-April when the U.S imposed a blockade in the Strait.

Recently, the U.S forces announced that they disabled an oil tanker en route to an Iranian port by firing a Hellfire missile at its engine room.

This was the 6th ship damaged by the U.S as it tried to go past the U.S blockade despite repeated warnings, per the U.S. Navy.