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An Iranian supertanker loaded with crude oil has managed to bypass the U.S. naval blockade and head toward East Asia, according to maritime tracking data.
The vessel, identified as "HUGE," was carrying over 1.9 million barrels of crude, was last seen near Sri Lanka more than a week ago, and is now believed to be moving through Indonesia’s Lombok Strait toward the Riau Archipelago, TankerTrackers reported.
The tanker stopped transmitting its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal on March 20 after leaving the Strait of Malacca en route to Iran, based on shipping data.
The development comes as Washington steps up enforcement of its naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime activity.
The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said Saturday that 48 vessels attempting to access Iranian ports had been redirected in recent weeks, marking an increase from the previously reported 44.
"Over the past 20 days, 48 vessels have been redirected to ensure compliance with the blockade," CENTCOM stated on social media.
The blockade, launched on April 13, focuses on controlling traffic through the Strait of Hormuz following Iran’s earlier restrictions on vessel passage linked to the conflict that began on Feb. 28 and is currently paused.
Pentagon officials indicate that more than 40 vessels carrying oil and other restricted cargo have been turned away since the operation began.
Separately, two ships have been seized by U.S. forces, while 31 tankers loaded with approximately 53 million barrels of Iranian oil remain stranded in the Gulf of Oman. The total value of those shipments exceeds $4.8 billion, U.S. media reported.
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