U.S. Port Blockade Forces Iran to Store Oil in Floating Tankers and Abandoned Tanks

Gate News message, April 27 — Due to U.S. blockades on Iranian ports, Iran is unable to ship oil to customers and empty tankers cannot dock to load cargo, causing petroleum inventories to accumulate. To prevent certain oil fields from shutting down, Iran has begun storing crude oil on floating tankers and in containers, according to current and former Iranian officials.

The country is also employing previously unused storage methods, including abandoned tanks in poor condition located in southern oil hubs Ahvaz and Assaluyeh. These measures reflect Iran’s heavy dependence on oil exports for the majority of its government revenue.

The blockade has forced Iran to adopt increasingly extreme storage solutions as the nation struggles to maintain production capacity amid the shipping restrictions.