About 20 empty Iranian oil tankers are stranded 24 kilometers off the southwestern coast of Sri Lanka. The engines of these ships have been turned off to save fuel, and their essential supplies are running low. This situation has arisen following increased economic pressure from the United States on the Islamic Republic and a maritime blockade of southern Iranian ports.
New Sanctions and Restrictions
Since July, coinciding with the renewed blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by the U.S., dozens of Iranian and Iran-related oil tankers involved in transporting sanctioned oil to China have become trapped in the waters around Asian countries, including Malaysia and Sri Lanka. In recent weeks, Washington has intensified its economic pressure campaign and has urged the Islamic Republic's partners to cut their trade relations with Tehran. This action not only harms Iran's oil sales but also blocks the routes for transferring oil revenues.
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Status of Tankers and Resource Shortages
During a visit to international waters near Malaysia, empty and rusted oil tankers linked to Iran were observed. These ships have been unable to return to Iran and reload oil due to the maritime blockade and new U.S. sanctions. Oil market analysts predict that the last shipments of Iranian oil awaiting transfer to buyers will run out in the coming weeks. Homayoun Falakshahi, head of crude oil analysis at Kepler, has predicted that by December, all of Iran's oil revenues will reach zero.
In the past two months, many tankers have moved to waters near Sri Lanka, a country with a history of providing fuel and repair services for Iranian ships. However, U.S. pressure on Sri Lanka to cut services to these tankers has increased. The U.S. Embassy in Colombo has informed the Sri Lankan government that it is monitoring 19 Iranian tankers near the western coast and has warned that assisting these ships may expose them to secondary sanctions.
Humanitarian Aid at Risk
Representatives of shipping companies based in Dubai have made requests to send food and fuel to the stranded Iranian tankers, but Sri Lankan officials are withholding permits for this aid due to concerns about sanctions. Tushara Rodrigo, spokesperson for the Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has also confirmed that the sanctioned ships face the risk of food and fuel shortages. He also noted that private companies may refrain from assisting these ships even in emergencies due to concerns about sanctions.
Overall, U.S. sanctions pose a serious threat to the Islamic Republic's ability to export oil and secure essential resources. Given the current conditions, pressures on Iranian tankers and their trade relations are expected to continue intensively.
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