Iranian tankers evade U.S. naval blockade to deliver cargo to China

Investigators from United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI) report that a small Iranian "ghost fleet" has been successfully evading a U.S. naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman to transport sanctioned goods to China.

Since the blockade was reinstated in mid-July, UANI has identified at least nine small tankers that managed to breach the maritime line. These vessels typically carry liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) rather than crude oil. UANI noted that while the blockade has been effective at preventing large ships carrying more than two million barrels of crude oil from leaving, smaller tankers carrying approximately 500,000 barrels have been able to slip through.

One specific vessel, the SOGL, allegedly escaped the blockade on September 1 after loading LPG at Assaluyeh Port. UANI tracked the tanker to a Malaysian anchorage before it sailed to Xinzhou Port in China to discharge its cargo. The U.S. Treasury Department has since sanctioned the Comoros-flagged tanker, which is owned by the Marshall Islands-based Gravion Maritime Company, alleging it has transported over two million barrels of Iranian propane and butane since September 2025.