Overview
- Ship-tracking data show the tankers Rani and Amil switched their advertised destination to Karachi on Tuesday after Washington moved to reimpose a naval blockade.
- The two vessels are carrying roughly one million barrels of Iranian crude combined and are both listed on U.S. sanctions rolls.
- Analysts and maritime data firms say an actual offload in Pakistan is unlikely because taking delivery would risk U.S. sanctions and political fallout for Islamabad.
- Sources and analysts say the more likely intent is to loiter in nearby waters or conduct ship-to-ship transfers to other vessels, a common tactic used by Iran’s so-called dark fleet to evade monitoring.
- This movement follows past episodes of Iran-linked tankers idling off Karachi and highlights how U.S. maritime enforcement is reshaping routes, raising legal risk for intermediaries and adding volatility to regional shipping patterns.