Two tankers carrying Iranian crude oil have reportedly listed Pakistan as their destination, according to a Bloomberg report citing ship-tracking data, likely as part of an effort to evade the resumption of the US naval blockade targeting Tehran.
The two ships, The Rani and The Amil, are carrying a combined 1 million barrels of oil, having recently switched their destination signals to Karachi, despite already being outside of the Persian Gulf when the US blockade was reimposed on Iranian shipping.
It is unlikely that the ships would discharge their cargo in Pakistan, as that would risk the South Asian country falling foul of US sanctions. Moreover, Islamabad hasn't imported any Iranian crude oil in over a decade, according to data from Kpler.
Instead, the report speculated that the ships might be planning to wait in Pakistani waters, either to wait or transfer their cargoes to other vessels.
It also noted that previous ships idled in this area to stay close to the Persian Gulf, as they waited for the right time to sail back in to load cargoes.
The ships, which list Panama-based Starboard Shipping Inc and Malaysian Amelie Ltd as owners, are both under US sanctions, and are part of the dark fleet that Iran uses to transport its oil.
could not reach either of the ships' owners or operators as their contact details were not publicly revealed anywhere.
(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)