Before the U.S. announced the reinstatement of the blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran clandestinely moved six supertankers through the strait. With their transponders turned off, the vessels departed the Gulf zone late last week, carrying approximately 12 million barrels of oil.
According to sea-news.az that this information was released by the Bloomberg agency.
The publication emphasizes that U.S. President Donald Trump subsequently demanded a 20% compensation for cargo transiting the strait. This was followed by the naval blockade, which was reinstated by the White House on Tuesday at 16:00. Despite attempts by some gas and cargo ships to exit the basin, maritime traffic in the strait has come to a near-total standstill.
It is noted that covert transits by ships with disabled transponders have become more common than visible voyages. However, such maneuvers are extremely dangerous: prior to this, Iranian missiles struck two UAE-owned tankers, and attacks by the U.S. side have also been recorded. During the period between blockades, Iran managed to export approximately 57 million barrels of oil. Now, however, the flow may face new threats.
