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Iranian Tankers Reportedly Cross US-Declared Blockade Zone
(MENAFN) Three empty oil tankers linked to Iran’s National Iranian Tanker Company have reportedly passed through a maritime area identified as a US Navy blockade line over the past two days, according to a maritime intelligence tracker cited in reports.
The vessels are said to have returned toward Iran after moving through Pakistan’s Exclusive Economic Zone, carrying no crude oil at the time. Combined, the three tankers are capable of transporting up to five million barrels of oil, according to the tracking data.
Maritime monitoring analysis indicated that two of the tankers were confirmed through satellite imagery, while a third vessel, identified as Hasna, was detected via automatic tracking signals near the coast of Oman, approximately 254 nautical miles west of the reported blockade boundary. Visual confirmation of that ship was still pending, while the identities of the other two vessels were reportedly shared with clients of the tracking service.
The developments followed a statement from US Central Command earlier in the week, which said American forces had disabled the steering capability of the Iranian-flagged tanker Hasna in the Gulf of Oman after it allegedly ignored repeated warnings. US officials said the vessel was not carrying oil and was en route to an Iranian port when it was intercepted in international waters.
CENTCOM also stated that the enforcement measures targeting vessels linked to Iran remain in place, adding that the Hasna was no longer continuing its journey toward Iran.
Shipping databases list the Hasna as a large Iranian-flagged crude carrier built in 2003, which has been subject to US sanctions. It is over 333 meters in length and is tracked in various global maritime monitoring systems.
The reported movements highlight ongoing tensions in the region’s waterways, particularly around the Gulf of Oman, Pakistan’s maritime zone, and approaches to the Strait of Hormuz, where enforcement actions and surveillance of tanker traffic have intensified amid broader restrictions on Iranian-linked shipping activity.
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