Recent maritime tracking reveals that Iranian crude oil shipments continue unabated despite the latest US-imposed restrictions. According to the intelligence firm Kpler, three Iranian oil tankers-Deep Sea, Sonia I, and Diona-carrying a combined total of five million barrels of crude oil, have successfully navigated the Strait of Hormuz, marking the first such departures since the US blockade was enacted.

US Sanctions and the Strait of Hormuz: Initial Attempts to Halt Iranian Oil Exports Fall Short

Since Monday, Washington has enforced a blockade aimed at curbing Iran’s oil exports by restricting access to its ports. However, no Iranian tanker had passed through the Strait of Hormuz with crude oil cargo since April 10, when the Starla departed-until these recent movements.

Notably, the three tankers in question have disabled their AIS transponders, a common tactic to evade tracking, with their last known signals recorded about a month ago near the Strait of Malacca, as per Marine Traffic data. Nevertheless, satellite imagery confirmed their transit through the strategic waterway on Wednesday after loading crude oil from Kharg Island on April 2, 8, and 9 respectively.

Ship-to-Ship Transfers Near Singapore Facilitate Iranian Oil’s Journey to China

While the final destinations of these vessels remain undisclosed, historical patterns indicate a consistent route involving ship-to-ship (STS) transfers in the Singapore maritime region. Data from Global Fishing Watch and Kpler show that Iranian crude is frequently offloaded to other tankers in this area, which then transport the oil to China.

For instance, in March, the Deep Sea received cargo from the Utopia Quest, which subsequently delivered oil to Yantai port in northern China on March 30. Similarly, the Diona’s cargo was transferred to the Indigo Ray, which docked at Dongjiakou port on April 10. The Sonia I’s crude was handed over to the Adeline G, though its destination remains unconfirmed.

Magnitude of Iran’s Covert Oil Exports Revealed

Since the beginning of March, at least 37 tankers associated with Iranian oil have conducted STS transfers near Singapore, moving an estimated 62.3 million barrels of crude, according to Kpler’s analysis. This extensive network underscores the scale of Iran’s efforts to circumvent sanctions.

Additionally, two sanctioned Iranian container ships recently exited the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz but reversed course near Pakistan’s border, last detected near Iran’s Chabahar port. Meanwhile, two other sanctioned cargo vessels transited the strait in the opposite direction, last seen close to Bandar Abbas port.

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