An Iranian supertanker loaded with crude worth nearly $220 million has evaded US naval monitoring and reached waters in Southeast Asia, according to maritime tracking firm TankerTrackers, raising fresh questions about the effectiveness of enforcement measures against Tehran.

The vessel, operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), is said to be carrying more than 1.9 million barrels of oil.

“A NITC VLCC supertanker carrying over 1.9 million barrels… has managed to evade the US Navy and reach the Far East,” TankerTrackers said in a post on the social media platform X.

Identified as “HUGE” (IMO: 9357183), the tanker was last publicly tracked near Sri Lanka more than a week ago. It is now believed to be transiting through Indonesia’s Lombok Strait en route to the Riau Archipelago.

The ship has not transmitted signals via the Automatic Identification System (AIS) since March 20, when it departed the Strait of Malacca, a key global shipping lane, according to the tracking firm.

Such signal “dark activity” is often used by sanctioned vessels seeking to avoid detection, particularly amid heightened US enforcement tied to the ongoing tensions with Iran.

Washington has tightened maritime surveillance as part of broader efforts to curb Iranian oil exports during the conflict. However, the reported movement of the tanker suggests gaps remain in monitoring and interdiction capabilities across busy regional waterways.

There has been no immediate response from US officials to the claim. 

Source: The Indian Express 

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