Iran slips LPG and jet fuel past US blockade via covert ship-to-ship transfers
Iran has managed to export LPG and jet fuel since July by hiding the cargoes among ship-to-ship transfers off Oman, despite a US naval blockade.
Since July, Iran has succeeded in exporting limited quantities of liquefied petroleum gas and jet fuel by concealing them among an increasing number of ship-to-ship transfers conducted by other Gulf oil exporters off the coast of Oman. Four maritime-security experts monitoring Gulf oil movements confirmed the practice, noting that the United States has redirected the majority of Iranian-laden tankers. Analysis by United Against Nuclear Iran, which tracks tanker routes via satellite and ship data, identified at least eight Iranian LPG tankers that have departed the Gulf of Oman since mid-July.
The shipments are described as a small fraction of Iran's former energy exports but provide rare evidence that some petroleum products can evade the US blockade that has stopped Iran's crude oil shipments. Jemima Shelley, senior research analyst at UANI, emphasized that while only a handful of tankers have been observed, the overwhelming majority are still being blocked. These covert exports illustrate Tehran's attempts to sustain revenue streams despite international sanctions.
Why it matters
The shipments show Iran can still generate oil-related revenue despite a US blockade, affecting regional energy markets and sanction effectiveness.
How this story developed
- Sep 24 Gulf oil exporters use alternate routes to sustain supply amid Iran conflict
- Sep 29 Brent crude rose about 4% to just over $107 a barrel after Donald Trump’s contradictory statements and the US announced the final withdrawal of its forces from Iraq.
- Oct 2 The administration emphasized managing public expectations about a rapid settlement with Iran.
- Oct 5 A U.S. naval blockade has caused a backlog of hundreds of trucks at the Gürbulak crossing, with waits up to five days.
- Oct 8 A tanker north of Qatar was hit by multiple projectiles, causing casualties.
- Oct 10 According to the Revolutionary Guard, the vessel hit a mine and burst into flames while transiting the Hormuz Strait. The flag of the ship has not been identified. The incident follows a series of recent attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf, including Iran's claim that it shot at a tanker using an "illegal channel." The flare-up has contributed to a rise in global oil prices and renewed worries about the security of one of the world’s key oil transit routes.
- Oct 13 Trump’s Strait of Hormuz announcement and dismissal of Iran’s UN proposal occurred alongside a Brent price jump and the departure of the final U.S. soldiers from Iraq.
- Oct 14 Iran’s security chief publicly named the US‑UAE night‑shuttle as a specific target.
- Oct 14 Iran announced a revised method for targeting vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
In this story
Related stories
14 in this thread