Media: Iran had prepared for a blockade of its ports in the Strait of Hormuz

Iran had anticipated the possibility of the United States imposing a naval blockade on its ports and, in advance, dispatched a substantial number of oil tankers into open waters, where they are now extremely difficult to track.

This was reported by the Iraqi outlet Baghdad Today.

According to the publication, the Iranian side forecast Washington’s actions and “sent to sea significantly more oil than could be accommodated in its onshore storage facilities.” The volumes involved are sufficient to maintain supplies to partners for approximately 80 days.

It is noted that even prior to the escalation of military tensions in the Persian Gulf, Iran had “begun building these reserves by loading tankers at three times the usual rate.” Experts estimate that around 170 million barrels of oil are currently stored in such “floating storage” facilities.

The vessels deployed into open waters, the outlet emphasizes, are operating “in stealth mode,” significantly complicating their detection. According to Baghdad Today, a US naval blockade would, in practice, have little impact on these Iranian tankers.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump stated that the United States began blocking Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (18:00 Baku time).