Satellite images show rare VLCC call at Iran’s Kharg island

June 5 ------ A crude oil supertanker has been observed at Iran’s main export terminal for the first time in nearly a month, underscoring the continued disruption to Tehran’s shipping operations amid intensified U.S. maritime pressure.

Satellite imagery captured by the European Union’s Sentinel-1 system shows a vessel consistent in size with a very large crude carrier (VLCC) berthed at a jetty west of Kharg Island on 2 June. According to a report by Bloomberg, no similarly sized tankers had been detected at the facility since 6 May.

Before the disruption began in mid-April, Kharg Island typically saw daily loadings of crude. However, available data indicate that no cargo departures were recorded during May, reflecting a significant decline in export activity.

Furthermore, analysts suggest the sharp drop in movements may be linked to a combination of factors, including sanctions pressure, logistical constraints on Iran’s tanker fleet, and uncertainty over whether shipments can successfully reach international markets.

EU satellite imagery also indicates the possibility that the vessel may have taken advantage of a temporary gap in surveillance coverage to conduct loading operations.

The disruption comes as U.S. measures targeting Iranian maritime exports have significantly reduced crude and petrochemical flows, leaving a number of tankers unable to depart Iranian waters. Vessels associated with sanction-evasion networks are reported to be either held within the system or diverted onto longer, higher-risk routes, with a growing reliance on smaller, less efficient shipping tonnage.

Source: safety4sea.com