Nearly $5 billion has been lost by Iran from sales oil sales, according to the Pentagon estimates, due to the blockade imposed by the US on the region.
The pressure on the government of Tehran is characterized as particularly intense.
This blockade, which began on April 13, is a key lever for President Donald Trump to pressure for an end to the conflict. Meanwhile, the talks continue with interruptions and restarts.
Officials say more than 40 ships have been diverted as they attempted to cross carrying oil or other cargo.
The “stuck” tankers and the pressure on infrastructure
On the Persian Gulf remain 31 tankers with about 53 million barrels of Iranian oil. Their value exceeds $4.8 billion, and two ships have already been seized.
The onshore storage facilities have reached their limits. Iran is now using old ships as floating tanks.
Some cargoes are taking longer routes to reach China to avoid possible U.S. interference. This increases costs and transit time.
Scenarios of “mass exodus” and escalation
Analyst Samir Madani notes that there are ways around the blockade. An example is a tanker that moved near Pakistan and India, reaching the Malaka Straits where oil is often transhipped to its final destination of China.
According to him, a coordinated escape attempt is not ruled out: a nightly “big exit” of several ships at once.
At the same time, both sides are exploiting blockades. The Iran is restricting passage in Hormuz, while the US controls the western entrance to the Gulf of Oman.
