Shipping data and specialized analyzes showed that the US naval blockade imposed on Iranian ports led to a sharp decline in Iranian oil exports, causing large quantities of crude to accumulate on board oil tankers, with storage facilities inside Iran about to be full.
According to reports issued by shipping tracking companies such as Vortexa and data from the London Stock Exchange Group, only a limited number of Iranian oil tankers left the Gulf of Oman during the period between April 13 and 25, a decline of more than 80% compared to the previous month, when exports amounted to about 23.4 million barrels.
Data indicate that tracking operations for some ships have stopped, while the United States has intercepted a number of Iranian oil tankers and ships subject to sanctions in Asian waters, making it difficult to determine the actual quantities reaching customers, led by China.
Vortexa said that only about 4 million barrels were able to leave the Gulf of Oman during the recent period, without confirming whether some of these shipments were subsequently intercepted.
In this context, the US Central Command stated that about 41 tankers carrying approximately 69 million barrels of oil are still unable to reach the market, while reports indicate that more than 50 million barrels have accumulated inside Iran as the storage capacity is about to be filled.
Analysts at Kpler also indicated that the continuation of restrictions may push Iran to reduce its production within weeks, at a time when pressure on the Iranian economy is increasing with the decline in the value of the local currency and the rise in global oil prices since the beginning of the crisis.
These developments come amid widespread turmoil in global energy markets, with direct impacts on supplies and prices as a result of geopolitical tensions in the region.
