&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Did Iranian tanker carrying oil worth $220 million evade US blockade? What we know")
An Iranian supertanker carrying crude worth nearly $220 million has evaded the US naval blockade in the region and reached Southeast Asia, according to maritime tracking firm TankerTrackers. The report has raised doubts over the effectiveness of the US blockade against Iran. This comes as tensions between the two countries continue to rise amid stalled talks.
According to TankerTrackers, the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) belongs to the National Iranian Tanker Company and has slipped past the US Navy to reach the Asia-Pacific. The vessel, HUGE, is reportedly carrying over 1.9 million barrels of crude oil that has an estimated value of nearly $220 million.
In a post on X, TankerTrackers wrote, “A National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) VLCC supertanker carrying over 1.9 million barrels (valued at nearly $220 million dollars) of crude oil has managed to evade the U.S. Navy and reach the Far East.”
It added, “Her name is HUGE (9357183), and we last sighted her off Sri Lanka over a week ago. She is currently traversing the Lombok Strait of Indonesia toward the Riau Archipelago. Until now, HUGE has not transmitted on AIS since 2026-03-20, when she departed the Strait of Malacca for Iran.”
US maintains blockade effective
Despite the reported breaches, US officials have maintained that the blockade is effective and has resulted in a loss of billions in revenue for Iran, Al Jazeera reported.
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Earlier on Saturday (May 2), US Central Command (CENTCOM) released an image showing USS New Orleans (LPD 18) operating in the Arabian Sea on April 28 as the United States continues the blockade of Iranian ports.
In a post on X, CENTCOM posted, “USS New Orleans (LPD 18) sails in the Arabian Sea during the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, April 28. Over the past 20 days, 48 vessels have been redirected to ensure compliance with the blockade.”
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump on Saturday (May 2) renewed threats of a possible attack on Iran as he said that will review a new proposal by Tehran, but cast doubt over its prospects.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote, “I will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can’t imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years.”
Disclaimer: WION takes utmost care to accurately and responsibly report ongoing conflicts in West Asia involving Israel, Iran, the US, Gulf nations and non-state actors like Hezbollah, Hamas, Houthis, Islamic State, and others. Claims and counterclaims, disinformation and misinformation are being made online and offline. Given this context, WION cannot independently verify the authenticity of all statements, social media posts, photos and videos.
