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Iran-linked LPG tankers reverse course amid U.S. blockade
The U.S. has reinstated and broadened a naval blockade aimed at stopping Iran oil exports, after a ceasefire collapsed following attacks on commercial vessels.
Iran-linked liquefied petroleum gas tankers have reversed course and adopted zig-zag routes in recent hours as they approach or respond to a U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman, according to vessel-tracking data compiled by Bloomberg and summarized by OilPrice.
The carriers identified include Glendale and Danuta I, both sanctioned by the United States. The report says they had cleared the Strait of Hormuz outbound into the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea before making abrupt changes in course in the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman, or turning back before potentially encountering the blockade.
OilPrice reports the U.S. reinstated the blockade earlier this week to stop Iran’s oil exports after the fragile ceasefire ended last week, when Iranian strikes hit commercial vessels including oil and LNG tankers. The U.S. responded with six consecutive nights of strikes on Iran.
On Thursday, U.S. forces struck and disabled an Iran-linked sanctioned oil tanker near Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf. OilPrice says U.S. Central Command reported redirecting three commercial vessels attempting to run the blockade, disabling one that did not comply, and boarding another to ensure compliance, adding that the Strait of Hormuz remains free and open except for vessels attempting to violate the blockade.