Iranian Oil Tankers Pass Through Strait of Hormuz; 4 Million Barrels Head to Asia Amid U.S. Blockade

Gate News message, April 28 — Two oil tankers carrying approximately 4 million barrels of Iranian crude successfully passed through the Strait of Hormuz on April 24 (local time) bound for Asia, according to Reuters reporting on April 27, citing satellite analysis from TankerTrackers.com. However, six other tankers carrying a combined 10.5 million barrels were blocked in recent days and have returned to Iranian ports.

In a potential first since the outbreak of the Iran conflict in late February, an Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) LNG carrier also appears to have successfully transited the Strait. The move marks the first confirmed instance of an LNG carrier passing through the waterway with cargo since the war began. Meanwhile, four additional Iranian tankers returned empty from Asia and were last spotted near Pakistan's coast. The Strait of Hormuz has been a flashpoint since Iran took control on February 28, followed by a U.S. maritime blockade on April 13. Iran briefly opened the passage on April 17-18 before reasserting control.

Faced with export constraints, Iran is increasingly relying on unconventional measures to manage its oil inventory, according to the Wall Street Journal on April 27. These include using tankers as floating storage, repurposing discarded tanks, and attempting to transport crude via rail to China—a route traditionally avoided due to lower profitability and efficiency. U.S. military operations blocking empty tankers from entering Iranian ports and preventing export vessels from departing have resulted in onshore storage tanks reaching capacity, according to current and former Iranian officials cited by the Journal.