Shadow tankers and nighttime clashes: The reality of oil smuggling in the Hormuz Strait
Translated from Hungarian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
Analysis
Sources not specified
Context piece
- JPMorgan estimates that around two million barrels of oil per day are being shipped using tankers with disabled transponders.
- TankerTrackers.com clarified that the oil is not Iranian but originates from Iran's Arab neighbors, with 46 Iranian oil tankers stranded near ports.
- Security analyst Robert C. Castel suggests that "kinetic oil smuggling" under the cover of night, near the coasts of the UAE and Oman, explains nighttime clashes in the Strait of Hormuz.
An estimated two million barrels of crude oil and refined products are reportedly being moved daily through the Strait of Hormuz using tankers with disabled transponders, according to a June 4 estimate by JPMorgan. This practice, known as "shadow tankers," could amount to roughly sixty million barrels per month.
A surprising amount of crude oil and refined products appears to be transiting the strait.
While official shipping data shows little increase in traffic, industry insiders, Asian oil buyers, and satellite imagery suggest a much higher volume of oil passing through the strait than official figures indicate. The phenomenon was known even before recent escalations.
TankerTrackers.com has specified that the oil being transported is not Iranian. Instead, it originates from Iran's Arab neighbors, including the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Kuwait. The company noted that 46 Iranian oil tankers laden with crude remain stranded near ports, indicating that "Iranian oil is still a prisoner."
Iranian oil is still a prisoner.
Security analyst Robert C. Castel interprets the nighttime clashes observed in the Strait of Hormuz as a result of "kinetic oil smuggling." He suggests that U.S. forces might be covertly moving ships out of the Persian Gulf under the cover of darkness, hugging the coastlines of the UAE and Oman, to circumvent an Iranian blockade. Castel points to the surprisingly low oil prices, despite the alleged "total" blockade, as the only irrefutable fact.
The only irrefutable fact is the surprisingly low level of oil prices despite the 'total' blockade.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by Magyar Nemzet in Hungarian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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