Investigators Capture Footage of Iranian Tanker Evading U.S. Blockade

United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) released covert footage showing a sanctioned tanker successfully bypassing the U.S. naval blockade en route to China.

The U.S. maritime blockade was first imposed on April 13. It was temporarily lifted in mid-June and reinstated on July 14 after diplomatic negotiations collapsed. The operation has largely stopped Iran from exporting crude oil, depriving Tehran of a major source of revenue as the country faces intense economic pressure.

UANI identified one of the sanctioned tankers as the SOGL. It allegedly escaped the blockade on September 1 carrying approximately 500,000 barrels of Iranian liquefied petroleum gas, or LPG, after collecting it at an Iranian port in August. The vessel then traveled to a Malaysian offshore anchorage, where UANI filmed the vessel receiving fuel and other services offshore. The ship then traveled to China, where the organization said it discharged its Iranian cargo.

Jemima Shelley, a senior analyst at UANI, stated that the vessel loaded its Iranian LPG from Assaluyeh Port, Iran, in late August. She explained that the tanker breached the U.S. blockade and made its way to a Malaysian anchorage. Shelley noted that since the reinstatement in mid-July, only nine small tankers have successfully breached the U.S. blockade and departed the Gulf of Oman laden with oil or LPG. She added that no Iranian crude oil has managed to depart and become a successful export for Iran since the blockade resumed.

The SOGL, identified by IMO number 9208227, was added to the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control sanctions list on October 8. The vessel has operated under multiple flags, including the Comoros and Zimbabwe, and has been linked in sanctions records to Gravion Maritime Co. Shelley described the SOGL as a Handymax small tanker that was laden with 500,000 barrels of Iranian LPG. She said the vessel is emblematic of ghost fleet tankers that fly false flags and are run by complicated front companies.

The Malaysian Eastern Outer Port Limits Anchorage, or EOPL, is an offshore shipping area approximately 70 kilometers from Malaysia’s coastline. The anchorage has become a critical staging ground for Iran’s sanctioned energy trade with China. The area allows vessels to wait offshore, receive supplies, and transfer cargo between tankers. UANI chartered a supply vessel on September 16 and transited 100 nautical miles into the EOPL. There, investigators witnessed the SOGL receiving bunkering services from a smaller tanker. Shelley said authorities in the area appear to be looking the other way.

China is the dominant destination for Iranian oil and LPG. For years, China has made up 80% of Iran's liquid cargo exports. Since the beginning of the Iran War, China is importing almost 100% of Iran's oil and LPG exports. After its stop in Malaysian waters, the SOGL transited northbound into the South China Sea. It finally discharged its Iranian LPG at Xinzhou Port in China. Fox News Digital has reached out to CENTCOM for comment.