Indian refiners, energy majors avoid Iranian blacklisted tankers

TEHRAN, Iran — At least three Indian refiners and several large global energy companies are steering clear of tankers placed on a new Iranian blacklist over Strait of Hormuz security risks, according to shippers and traders cited by Reuters. The companies are pulling back from ship-to-ship oil transfer operations involving the listed vessels, citing concern over potential Iranian sanctions and transit dangers in the strait. Iran published the blacklist on Sunday, naming 45 ships it said had violated transit rules through the Strait of Hormuz, and warned that measures would be taken against fleets transporting cargo from those vessels. The blacklist appears aimed at disrupting ship-to-ship operations used by Gulf oil producers, particularly the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, under which tankers move crude across the Persian Gulf and transfer it to other carriers in the Gulf of Oman after the Hormuz transit. Iran's Persian Gulf Strait Authority, the body established by Tehran to oversee the waterway, has warned that listed vessels could face fines, detention or seizure of their cargo. No further details on enforcement or retaliation by affected shippers were immediately available.