Iran ships out 9M barrels of crude from floating storage in Gulf of Oman since US blockade, tracker says

Iran has shipped about 9 million barrels of crude oil from floating storage in the Gulf of Oman since a US naval blockade took effect on April 13 at 1400GMT, according to vessel-monitoring service TankerTrackers.

Another 2 million barrels departed on April 12, a day before the blockade began, according to tracker data.

The US blockade, announced following the collapse of talks with Iran, is aimed at preventing ships from traveling to and from Iranian ports.

Since then, multiple vessels have reversed course, shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has thinned sharply, and traders and shipowners have been closely tracking whether Iran can keep exports flowing through alternative routes, floating storage, or shadow-fleet transfers.

The blockade has targeted roughly 2 million barrels per day of Iranian oil exports, most of which normally head to China, raising the stakes for both Tehran and global energy markets.

At the same time, some sanctioned or Iran-linked tankers have continued trying to navigate the region. Two US-sanctioned supertankers entered the Gulf this week despite the blockade, while other vessels were reported to have turned back after approaching or crossing Hormuz, underscoring the uneven and still-evolving enforcement picture.

In the last 24 hours, as of 0900GMT Thursday, at least 11 vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz, according to shipping data compiled by Anadolu.