Two tankers carrying Iranian crude oil, which had previously appeared to be heading towards Pakistan, have altered their course as the United States reinstates its maritime blockade on Iran.
Vessel tracking data indicates that the tankers Rani and Amil, carrying a combined total of one million barrels of crude, briefly signaled Karachi as their destination before turning around on Wednesday. The vessels were already outside the Persian Gulf when the U.S. reimposed its maritime blockade on Iranian shipping.
The U.S. Central Command stated on Wednesday that it has diverted two commercial vessels attempting to breach the blockade since resuming the enforcement operation, but did not disclose the names of the ships.
According to data intelligence firm Kpler, Pakistan has not imported Iranian crude oil for at least a decade due to the risks associated with U.S. sanctions. One possibility is that the two tankers selected Karachi as a location to wait or to transfer their cargo to other vessels.
Both tankers are under U.S. sanctions and are part of the "shadow fleet" used by Iran to transport its oil.
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