Iranian media reported on Monday that Tehran has already shipped out approximately 174 million barrels of oil prior to the US blockade, a move that ensures continued sales for about 80 days.
The Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran anticipated the US blockade and had sailed more oil than its storage capacity, equivalent to about three months of sales, onto the sea before the United States announced a blockade of Iranian ports, effective Monday.
The agency cited a report stating that Iran maintains this quantity of oil in floating storage, rendering any potential blockade ineffective. Currently, approximately 129 tankers linked to Iranian crude oil are operating in ‘dark’ mode to obscure their tracking.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces stated on Monday that “the US restrictions imposed on ships in international waters are illegal and amount to piracy,” emphasizing that Gulf ports must be accessible to all or none, and that no port in the Gulf or the Gulf of Oman will remain safe if Iranian ports are threatened.
