Around 20 Iranian oil tankers stranded off Sri Lanka due to US naval blockade

TEHRAN, Iran — Nearly 20 Iranian oil tankers are holding position off Sri Lanka's coast after a US naval blockade restricted ship movements into and out of Iranian ports, according to maritime tracking data. Ship traffic data shows 13 Iranian-flagged tankers located near the outer limit of Sri Lankan territorial waters, with additional vessels linked to Tehran's "shadow fleet," used to circumvent sanctions, also present in the area. Samir Madani, co-founder of the maritime intelligence firm TankerTrackers, said all of the state-owned Iranian tankers were empty and had chosen to shelter inside Sri Lanka's economic zone. Draft readings indicate the tankers are not carrying cargo, suggesting they were heading back to Iran to load new shipments before US measures blocked their return. The tankers are positioned roughly 12 nautical miles from Sri Lanka's territorial boundary, near Iranian waters, to reduce the risk of interception or targeting. The situation coincides with US Central Command's announcement that it resumed the naval blockade on July 14, after an initial enforcement period between April 13 and June 18.