Analytics Firm Highlights Failure of US Naval Blockade Against Iran
The US naval blockade of Iranian ports has disrupted Tehran’s oil machine, but its loading infrastructure remains intact, and cargoes are still flowing toward China, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler.
US Central Command claimed overnight that American forces have redirected 31 vessels to return to port or turn around as part of the ongoing US blockade against Iran. Most of the redirected vessels were oil tankers, CENTCOM posted on X. The US has also seized an Iranian-flagged vessel in the Gulf of Oman and boarded a sanctioned vessel in the Indian Ocean.
Despite the blockade, tankers are still positioned in Iran’s loading zones and Iranian crude continues to move toward China, Kpler data shows. The maritime analytics firm estimated the flow of crude from Iran to China to be 985,000 barrels per day in the first half of April. Since then, this flow has not been interrupted, Kpler added. At Jask, an Iranian oil export terminal which bypasses the Strait of Hormuz, there is an all-time high of 5.8 million barrels in storage, Kpler said. Tankers laden with oil are able to exit the Jask terminal into the Gulf of Oman without passing through the strait.“The blockade has disrupted the oil machine, but it has not broken it,” Kpler noted.
The United States and Israel waged a war against Iran on February 28, assassinating ranking commanders and official and attacking military installations and civilian infrastructure, including schools, hospitals and bridges.Since then, Iran has demonstrated its responsible policy by agreeing to a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, despite having the upper hand on the battlefield after 100 waves of retaliatory operations under Operation True Promise 4.Despite the ceasefire, Washington keeps highlighting a naval blockade of Iranian ports. Tehran considers it illegal under international law and a clear violation of the truce.#Iran#US
12:23 - 23 آوریل 2026
