With only a few hours remaining before the reimposition of the U.S. naval blockade against Iran, the shipping-tracking firm TankerTrackers.com announced that a supertanker carrying approximately two million barrels of Iranian crude oil is attempting to cross the designated boundary before the restrictions take effect.
The firm, which monitors tanker traffic, stated that the vessel is moving at the “maximum possible speed” to reach the crossing point before 23:30 on Tuesday, July 14, the deadline declared by the United States for the reinstatement of the blockade.
According to shipping data, supertankers of this classification typically travel at a speed of around 10 knots, equivalent to nearly 18.5 kilometres per hour, and accelerating to maximum capacity is highly uncommon under normal circumstances.
The United States Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that, starting Tuesday evening, the naval blockade would be reinforced against vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports and waters. CENTCOM emphasized that the measure would not impede the passage of ships that do not violate the terms of the blockade.
U.S. President Donald Trump also announced the return of the blockade on Monday, accusing the Islamic Republic of violating previous agreements. At the same time, he stated that the possibility of reaching a new agreement with Tehran to end the conflict remained open.
