No tankers loaded at Kharg Island for a week amid US blockade, FT says
A US naval blockade has halted oil exports from Iran's Kharg Island terminal for over a week. Satellite data confirms that tanker traffic has ceased, marking one of the longest standstills since the conflict began.
Why it matters
The disruption of Iranian oil exports significantly impacts global energy markets and escalates geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran.
No tankers have loaded at Kharg Island, Iran's main export terminal, for at least a week, recent shipping and satellite data show, suggesting that the renewed US naval blockade has brought Tehran's crude oil sales to a halt, the Financial Times reported on Friday. The US reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports in mid-July after an interim agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz collapsed. Operations at Kharg Island, vital to Iran's oil industry, halted on July 31, according to Kpler and Energy Aspects, two intelligence providers for global energy, commodity, and shipping. Satellite images revealed that all three berths on the island had been "empty for an extended period of time," maritime intelligence company Windward said.
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