Washington, DC – A recent report by the Coalition Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) indicates that 66 tankers have departed the Gulf of Oman. These tankers were carrying large shipments of Iranian oil and petrochemical products. Their departures have occurred since the announcement of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran. This memorandum is known as the Strait of Hormuz Agreement.
The report explained that these oil and petrochemical exports generated “revenues estimated at more than six billion dollars” for the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. The Revolutionary Guard, in turn, continues to use these funds to finance its military program for developing missiles and drones. The organization also noted that these figures remain estimates, given that China does not publicly disclose the actual prices and volume of its crude oil purchases. However, some estimates suggest that these shipments were sold at a discount of between 10 and 12 dollars per barrel.
The American blockade and its impact on shipping
On July 14, at 4:00 PM Eastern Time, U.S. forces reinstated a strict naval blockade on vessels transiting to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas. They also provided support for law-abiding shipping within Iranian territorial waters. Data indicates that, as of August 3, U.S. forces had diverted 44 commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade. Additionally, they disabled two vessels that failed to comply with instructions. They boarded two others to ensure full compliance.
As a result of these tightened measures, numerous Iranian oil and petrochemical tankers are currently anchored in ports along the Iranian coast due to the blockade. The organization has not been able to track any tankers carrying Iranian crude oil leaving the Gulf of Oman since July 12. This reflects their inability to evade US law enforcement measures since that date. This was prior to the full reimposition of the blockade.
“Ghost Fleet” movements near Pakistani coast
In a related development, the Automatic Identification System (AIS) detected at least nine tankers belonging to the “ghost fleet” linked to UANI attempting to enter the Gulf of Oman on August 2. However, these vessels likely encountered strict US blockade measures, forcing them to turn back. They returned to the Outer Port Limit (OPL) berth in Karachi, approximately 70 kilometers off the Pakistani coast. It is worth noting that the “ghost fleet” began congregating at this berth during a previous round of US blockades. Furthermore, their operations have expanded significantly since then.
