Financial Times: US Blockade Proving Effective as Iranian Oil Piles Up in Aging Tankers in Persian Gulf
According to the Financial Times, a US blockade has restricted Iran's oil exports to Far East markets, forcing Iran to store its oil in aging tankers moored in the Persian Gulf. Data from the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) shows about 39 tankers with Iranian oil are now stranded, up from 29 before the blockade took effect on April 13. The U.S. military stated it has diverted 72 vessels back to Iranian ports, indicating the blockade's success. This has pushed Iran's crude oil stored at sea to its highest level since the conflict began.
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- 📰 Published: May 19, 2026 at 21:01
- 🔍 Collected: May 19, 2026 at 21:32 (30 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 19, 2026 at 21:36 (4 min after Collected)
(CNA Tehran, 19th, Comprehensive Foreign Report) The British Financial Times reports that a United States blockade has restricted Iran's oil exports to Far East markets, forcing Iran to store its oil in aging tankers moored in the Persian Gulf.
According to data from the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), approximately 39 tankers loaded with Iranian oil and petrochemical products are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf. This is an increase from the 29 tankers before the US blockade took effect on April 13, with a large number of vessels anchored near Iran's Kharg Island oil export terminal.
The Financial Times and UANI also discovered another 13 suspected tankers anchored off the coast of Iran's Chabahar Port in the Gulf of Oman. This location is east of the Strait of Hormuz and falls within the theoretical blockade line of the US Navy.
The accumulation of Iranian tankers appears to indicate the effectiveness of the US blockade. The stated goal of the blockade by the US is to target any Iranian vessel or any ship suspected of carrying Iranian cargo, implementing 'visit, board, search, and seizure' operations by the US Navy to cut off Iran's oil revenue stream.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) noted that since the implementation of the blockade, it has 'diverted' 72 ships back to Iranian ports and has disabled four vessels.
This has made it largely impossible for Iranian crude oil to be shipped abroad, forcing Iranian authorities to reactivate old tankers to serve as floating storage facilities. For example, a 30-year-old supertanker, which analysis suggests had been idle for over two years, began transmitting its location signal in the Persian Gulf at the end of April.
Yui Torikata, an analyst at the shipping tracking organization Kpler, pointed out that the amount of Iranian crude oil on tankers anchored in the Persian Gulf has reached 'the highest level since the conflict began and has remained high since early May.'
According to data from the advocacy group United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI), approximately 39 tankers loaded with Iranian oil and petrochemical products are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf. This is an increase from the 29 tankers before the US blockade took effect on April 13, with a large number of vessels anchored near Iran's Kharg Island oil export terminal.
The Financial Times and UANI also discovered another 13 suspected tankers anchored off the coast of Iran's Chabahar Port in the Gulf of Oman. This location is east of the Strait of Hormuz and falls within the theoretical blockade line of the US Navy.
The accumulation of Iranian tankers appears to indicate the effectiveness of the US blockade. The stated goal of the blockade by the US is to target any Iranian vessel or any ship suspected of carrying Iranian cargo, implementing 'visit, board, search, and seizure' operations by the US Navy to cut off Iran's oil revenue stream.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) noted that since the implementation of the blockade, it has 'diverted' 72 ships back to Iranian ports and has disabled four vessels.
This has made it largely impossible for Iranian crude oil to be shipped abroad, forcing Iranian authorities to reactivate old tankers to serve as floating storage facilities. For example, a 30-year-old supertanker, which analysis suggests had been idle for over two years, began transmitting its location signal in the Persian Gulf at the end of April.
Yui Torikata, an analyst at the shipping tracking organization Kpler, pointed out that the amount of Iranian crude oil on tankers anchored in the Persian Gulf has reached 'the highest level since the conflict began and has remained high since early May.'