Iran appears to be preparing a major test of America’s blockade, with 23 vessels operating inside the Strait of Hormuz turning their transponders off or manipulating their activities to become ‘dark vessels’ that make up ‘shadow fleets’, according to Windward Intelligence, a maritime security information service.

Iran’s History of Evading Sanctions

Iran has significant experience evading US sanctions, relying on a complex network of shadow companies, secretive oil cargo swaps, and murky financial exchanges. Its shadow fleets spoof their identities and sell most of their oil to China.

For example, one Iranian tanker tracked by Windward is traveling a circuitous path, loading Iranian crude at Kharg Island – Iran’s main oil hub – and routing through Iraq’s Basrah Oil Terminal before continuing on to its destination to China. That pattern is consistent with Iranian techniques to mask the origin of its cargo, Windward noted.

Ten of the 23 vessels Windward identified as potential blockade-busters hold cargo, according to Vortexa, a cargo tracking service. The remaining 13 are currently empty.

US Blockade and Its Impact

Despite the United States desanctioning Iranian oil as part of its now-defunct Memorandum of Understanding, Iran continued to use its shadow fleet to export roughly 50 million barrels of crude oil in June and 10 million in a single day last week, according to an analysis by TankerTrackers.

The first US naval blockade, which lasted from mid-April through mid-June, was effective in limiting much – but not all – of Iran’s exports in and out of the strait. The regime makes about 50% of its revenue from oil sales, and it has found a willing buyer in China, which imports about 80% of Iran’s oil, despite US sanctions.

Original reporting: KRDO (Colorado Springs metro) — read the source article.