New shipping and energy market data indicate that Iran’s oil sector is facing its most severe disruption in years. Not only has the transit of Iranian crude through regional waters effectively come to a halt over the past six weeks, but China—the Islamic Republic’s sole major oil customer—also has steadily reduced its purchases of Iranian […]
Iran’s Oil Production and Exports Enter a Steep Decline Read More »
Iran has started reducing oil output as onshore storage tanks approach capacity following a month-long US naval blockade that has nearly halted exports, according to data from Kpler and Bloomberg. More than 70 percent of the country’s onshore tanks are now filled. An Iran Open Data analysis of Kpler shipping data, Bloomberg reporting, and OPEC
Iran’s Onshore Oil Storage Tops 70 Percent as Blockade Halts Exports Read More »
Iran’s oil exports have collapsed since the US naval blockade began on April 13, with daily loadings falling from 2.1 million barrels to 567,000 barrels, according to tanker-tracking firm Kpler. Onshore storage and tankers in Iranian waters are filling up, and the government has begun cutting oil production. An Iran Open Data analysis of OPEC
Iran’s Foreign Reserves Cover One Year of Imports as Oil Exports Collapse Read More »
Iran’s foreign trade has suffered a sharp contraction in the first month of war with the United States and Israel, newly released customs data show, signaling a severe blow to the country’s already fragile economy. Figures from Iran’s customs administration show non-oil trade collapsed in the final month of the previous Iranian fiscal year (February
Iran’s foreign trade suffers wartime collapse Read More »
Iran’s plans to reduce its reliance on the Strait of Hormuz appear to have delivered little practical change so far, according to tanker-tracking data from Kpler obtained by Iran International. For more than a decade, Tehran has invested heavily in the Jask oil terminal, a project designed to shift part of its crude exports to
Iran still depends on Hormuz despite years of workarounds Read More »
The United States has signaled it will issue a one-month waiver allowing limited sales of sanctioned Iranian oil, aiming to calm global markets amid heightened geopolitical tensions. While the move may offer Tehran short-term relief, it ultimately reinforces Washington’s control over Iran’s oil revenues and exports. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the measure as
Are Iran Oil Sanctions Waivers Relief for Tehran or Leverage for Washington? Read More »
China appears to be replacing disrupted Venezuelan oil shipments with Russian crude rather than Iranian barrels, despite steeper discounts being offered by Tehran. According to data from commodity intelligence firm Kpler, shared with Iran International, China discharged an average of 1.138 million barrels per day (bpd) of Iranian crude at its ports this month—about 115,000
China refiners turn to Russian oil as Iran faces rising uncertainty Read More »
Iran’s oil exports declined sharply at the start of 2026, new tanker-tracking data show, raising fresh questions about the durability of Tehran’s most important economic lifeline under renewed US sanctions pressure. Crude oil loadings from Iran’s Persian Gulf terminals fell to below 1.39 million barrels per day in January, a 26 percent drop from a
Tehran’s oil lifeline shows signs of strain under tightening sanctions Read More »
Despite decades of sanctions, military threats, and strategic warnings, nearly all of Iran’s oil exports still flow through a single island—and one of the world’s most volatile maritime chokepoints. As regional tensions escalate, this dependency has become one of the Islamic Republic’s most dangerous structural liabilities. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has warned that any future conflict will
Iran’s Energy Chokepoint: Why Kharg Island Puts Tehran at Risk Read More »
One year after US President Donald Trump returned to the White House and revived the “maximum pressure” sanctions on Iran from his first term, available data show the country’s energy exports remain largely intact. Data from the commodity intelligence firm Kpler, seen by Iran International, show that in 2025 Iran delivered an average of 1.38
Iran’s energy trade defies year of US maximum pressure sanctions Read More »
