Tehran/Washington, DC: The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has not kept Iran from shipping large volumes of crude through the Strait of Hormuz. It did so while threatening the movement of tankers of other countries through the strategic chokepoint.
At least 11-12 million barrels of crude passed through the the Strait since February 28, Bloomberg reported, citing satellite tracking data.
Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, a firm that monitors satellite imagery to track vessel movements, said Tehran has maintained oil flows through the waterway even as regional hostilities intensify, Bloomberg reported.
The actual figure is likely higher, though satellite feed delays due to the conflict have made precise tracking more difficult, he added.
With movement of crude through the important route getting stalled, oil prices surged to nearly $120 per barrel at one stage on Monday.
TankerTrackers.com relies on satellite imagery to monitor ships, enabling it to detect vessel movements even when tankers switch off their digital transponders to avoid tracking. According to the report, a Greek-operated tanker exited the Persian Gulf via Hormuz with its signal turned off and later reappeared near India’s coast, News18 reported.
This development comes at a time when US president Donald Trump has issued a fresh warning to Iran, cautioning the Islamic Republic against escalating hostilities.
“They’ve shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute or it’s going to be the end of that country…If they do anything bad, that would be the end of Iran and you’d never hear the name again,” Trump was quoted as saying.
The Strait of Hormuz remains open, the US president asserted, and claimed that ships have been entering the passage. He is considering a potential US takeover of the vital shipping route, Trump added.
His remarks followed a statement from the US Department of Defence saying the US has “only just begun its fight.” Trump is also scheduled to hold a press conference as the conflict continues to rattle global oil markets.
