Tehran, May 3: An Iranian super tanker has successfully evaded a US blockade and reached the Asia-Pacific region. According to the monitoring firm TankerTrackers.com, the vessel is carrying approximately 1.9 million barrels of crude oil, valued at around $220 million.
This very large crude carrier (VLCC), identified as “Hugh,” is reported to belong to the National Iranian Tanker Company. The last sighting of the ship was about a week and a half ago near Sri Lanka. Currently, it is navigating through the Lombok Strait towards the Rio Archipelago.
TankerTrackers.com noted that when the US Navy announced the blockade of Iranian ports on April 13, the tanker was still within Iranian waters. Prior to that, after departing from the Strait of Malacca on March 20, it had turned off its Automatic Identification System (AIS), making its location difficult to track.
This report emerges at a time when Iranian state media claimed on April 29 that at least 52 Iranian vessels have successfully breached the US blockade. In contrast, US military officials assert that they have forced around 41 Iran-related ships to turn back since the blockade began.
According to US officials, the blockade has proven effective, causing Iran billions of dollars in losses. They argue that Iran is struggling to export oil and may be forced to store it before halting production.
On Saturday, Axios published a report citing some officials, claiming that the US maritime blockade has resulted in a loss of approximately $4.8 billion, or about 456 billion rupees, in oil revenue for Iran. This estimate reportedly comes from the US Department of Defense (Pentagon).
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My name is Himanshu Tiwari. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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