Iran Uses Ship-to-Ship Oil Transfers to Evade US Blockade, Reports Say

Iran is using ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman to move oil and evade a US blockade, according to reports.

The reported method relies on smaller tankers sailing through the Strait of Hormuz before transferring their cargo to vessels waiting farther out at sea.

Those receiving ships are positioned beyond missile range, according to the reports. The arrangement allows them to take on oil without having to enter the strait themselves.

The transfers split the journey between vessels, with smaller tankers handling the passage through Hormuz and larger ships receiving the oil offshore.

The available account does not identify the vessels involved or specify how much oil has been moved through the reported operation.