The U.S. military has targeted an unladen oil tanker with missiles as it enforces a new blockade on Iran. The vessel was reportedly heading for the key Iranian oil terminal on Kharg Island.
The tanker, identified as Belma, had previously been sanctioned by the U.S. under a different name due to its alleged links with Iran. It entered the Gulf on Tuesday after transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to ship-tracking data. At the time of the incident, the tanker was reporting no cargo on board and last broadcast its location approximately 100 kilometers (63 miles) southeast of Kharg Island.
This action follows a recent U.S. decision to restrict a temporary license that had allowed the sale of Iranian oil and payments in U.S. dollars. This license was a part of a ceasefire deal, and its restriction came after Iran conducted a series of attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
Analysts from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) and TankerTrackers.com estimate that between the blockade's initial end and its resumption, Iran exported at least 74 million barrels of oil, valued at over $6 billion. During the period the license was active, Iran's oil sales prices reportedly increased by approximately 20% compared to pre-war levels, according to its chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Separately, another crude oil tanker, Fuyao, which is under U.S. sanctions for its alleged ties to Iran, reversed course on Thursday and returned to Iranian waters in the Gulf of Oman. Ship-tracking data indicates the vessel was listed as heading for Pakistan with a cargo of oil, though it is unclear if its course change was a direct response to the U.S. enforcement of the blockade.