Overview
- Kharg Island resumed loading operations on Saturday when at least three very large crude carriers (VLCCs) were moored and began taking on cargo after roughly six weeks of limited activity.
- European Sentinel satellite images and commercial ship‑tracking data independently showed two vessels berthed, a third approaching the jetty, and early departures that analysts say are headed largely to Chinese buyers.
- The US naval blockade had pushed Iran’s average loadings down from about 2.1 million barrels per day to roughly 567,000 bpd, a roughly 73% decline that forced Tehran to store and move about 20 million barrels on tankers anchored off Chabahar.
- Officials and market watchers warn that returning to pre‑blockade volumes will take months because of rerouted shipping, insurance and payment constraints, and the need to re‑staff and re‑schedule VLCC rotations.
- Observers say the restart could ease regional supply tightness and lower pressures on refiners and consumers, while also accelerating interest in alternate export routes, payment workarounds and longer‑term infrastructure shifts.