Current Affairs

Iran's Empty Tankers are Still Running Blockade, But Loadings Have Stopped

The U.S. Navy's blockade on Iranian shipping has turned back 81 vessels and detained four more since April, but empty tankers continue slipping through in small numbers. Three sanctioned tankers in ballast recently passed the Gulf of Oman blockade with combined capacity of 1.9 million barrels. Loadings at Kharg Island have halted for six days, likely due to a large-scale spill, while Iraq's April oil exports plummeted to 10 million barrels from 93 million the previous month.