Breaking the US Naval Blockade: At Least 2 Fully Loaded Iranian Tankers Sail Out of the Persian Gulf
At least two fully loaded Iranian tankers have successfully broken through the US naval blockade, sailing from the Persian Gulf into the Arabian Sea. This indicates Iran's continued crude oil exports despite US sanctions.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 22, 2026 at 18:08
- 🔍 Collected: April 22, 2026 at 18:31 (23 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 23, 2026 at 07:14 (12h 42m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA, Dubai, 22nd, Comprehensive Foreign Wire) At least two fully loaded Iranian tankers have sailed out of the Persian Gulf this week, successfully breaking through the US military's naval blockade. This shows that the Iranian fleet is bypassing US warships to transport approximately 9 million barrels of crude oil to the international market.
According to Vortexa, a ship and energy data analysis company, satellite imagery shows that the Iranian-flagged giant tankers "Hero II" and "Hedy" crossed the blockade line drawn by the US military and entered the Arabian Sea on the 20th. Together, these two tankers carry up to 4 million barrels of crude oil.
Bloomberg reported that despite US President Trump's claim that the blockade operation has achieved "huge success," fully loaded tankers continue to break through the blockade, highlighting the limitations of the US effort to force concessions from the Tehran regime by containing oil exports.
Since the US military launched the blockade operation last week, it has expanded its enforcement scope by seizing an Iran-linked cargo ship in waters east of Sri Lanka and boarding a sanctioned tanker.
According to the British Navy, Iran, which is also blockading the Strait of Hormuz, reportedly opened fire on a container ship on the 22nd, causing severe damage to its hull.
Vortexa data shows that despite the US blockade, Iran's crude oil exports continue. Currently, at least 34 Iran-linked tankers and gas carriers are attempting to cross the US blockade line. This blockade line extends northeast from Ras al Hadd in Oman to the Iran-Pakistan border. Among the ships that have crossed the blockade line since last week, 19 sailed out of the Persian Gulf, 17 of which were carrying cargo.
To evade US military detection, these ships typically turn off their transponders, while Vortexa uses satellite imagery to track them.
"Hero II" was last spotted more than a month ago in the Strait of Malacca, and "Hedy" has not transmitted a location signal since late February. Although their destinations are unknown, most of Iran's crude oil is shipped to China, with some arriving in India before sanction waivers expire.
In addition to large tankers, other sanctioned vessels are also challenging the US military's bottom line. The Gambian-flagged cargo ship "Lian Star" is sailing close to the Iranian coast; the US-sanctioned tanker "Atlantis II" is also approaching Larak Island located in the Strait of Hormuz.
Furthermore, the liquefied petroleum gas carrier LPG Sevan and a tanker operated by a Chinese company, Ocean Jewel, have also appeared in sensitive waters. Relevant shipping companies have not yet commented on this.
Although Trump announced on the 21st an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran, he emphasized that the naval blockade will continue.
Currently, about 800 ships are stranded in the Persian Gulf. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) stated that it is developing an evacuation plan but emphasized that everything depends on whether the hostilities de-escalate. (Translated by: Liu Shuqin) 1150422
(CNA, Dubai, 22nd, Comprehensive Foreign Wire) At least two fully loaded Iranian tankers have sailed out of the Persian Gulf this week, successfully breaking through the US military's naval blockade. This shows that the Iranian fleet is bypassing US warships to transport approximately 9 million barrels of crude oil to the international market.
According to Vortexa, a ship and energy data analysis company, satellite imagery shows that the Iranian-flagged giant tankers "Hero II" and "Hedy" crossed the blockade line drawn by the US military and entered the Arabian Sea on the 20th. Together, these two tankers carry up to 4 million barrels of crude oil.
Bloomberg reported that despite US President Trump's claim that the blockade operation has achieved "huge success," fully loaded tankers continue to break through the blockade, highlighting the limitations of the US effort to force concessions from the Tehran regime by containing oil exports.
Since the US military launched the blockade operation last week, it has expanded its enforcement scope by seizing an Iran-linked cargo ship in waters east of Sri Lanka and boarding a sanctioned tanker.
According to the British Navy, Iran, which is also blockading the Strait of Hormuz, reportedly opened fire on a container ship on the 22nd, causing severe damage to its hull.
Vortexa data shows that despite the US blockade, Iran's crude oil exports continue. Currently, at least 34 Iran-linked tankers and gas carriers are attempting to cross the US blockade line. This blockade line extends northeast from Ras al Hadd in Oman to the Iran-Pakistan border. Among the ships that have crossed the blockade line since last week, 19 sailed out of the Persian Gulf, 17 of which were carrying cargo.
To evade US military detection, these ships typically turn off their transponders, while Vortexa uses satellite imagery to track them.
"Hero II" was last spotted more than a month ago in the Strait of Malacca, and "Hedy" has not transmitted a location signal since late February. Although their destinations are unknown, most of Iran's crude oil is shipped to China, with some arriving in India before sanction waivers expire.
In addition to large tankers, other sanctioned vessels are also challenging the US military's bottom line. The Gambian-flagged cargo ship "Lian Star" is sailing close to the Iranian coast; the US-sanctioned tanker "Atlantis II" is also approaching Larak Island located in the Strait of Hormuz.
Furthermore, the liquefied petroleum gas carrier LPG Sevan and a tanker operated by a Chinese company, Ocean Jewel, have also appeared in sensitive waters. Relevant shipping companies have not yet commented on this.
Although Trump announced on the 21st an indefinite extension of the ceasefire with Iran, he emphasized that the naval blockade will continue.
Currently, about 800 ships are stranded in the Persian Gulf. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) stated that it is developing an evacuation plan but emphasized that everything depends on whether the hostilities de-escalate. (Translated by: Liu Shuqin) 1150422