A Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company, identified by TankerTrackers.com as HUGE, reportedly slipped past U.S. naval restrictions and is sailing toward the Asia-Pacific with more than 1.9 million barrels of crude oil worth nearly $220 million. The monitoring group said the tanker was last observed off Sri Lanka over a week ago and is now transiting Indonesia’s Lombok Strait en route to the Riau Archipelago. TankerTrackers noted HUGE had stopped broadcasting on the Automatic Identification System (AIS) after departing the Strait of Malacca for Iran on March 20. Iranian state media on April 29 claimed at least 52 vessels had breached U.S. restrictions, a tally that Tehran has used to argue the measures are being circumvented. U.S. officials, however, maintain the maritime pressure is effective and has cost Iran billions in lost revenue; Washington says Iran is largely unable to export oil, is being forced to store supplies until tanks are full, and may eventually have to halt production. U.S. Central Command confirmed the presence of USS New Orleans (LPD-18) operating in the Arabian Sea as part of efforts to enforce restrictions, and said that over a recent 20-day period 48 vessels had been redirected to ensure compliance. U.S. officials emphasize their naval actions target Iranian ports and coastline, not the Strait of Hormuz itself. Separately, U.S. and Iranian diplomatic activity continues. U.S. President Donald Trump said he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal to end the conflict but expressed skepticism about its chances, telling reporters he would provide an update later and indicating he had doubts about whether Tehran had paid an adequate price for past actions. Semi-official Iranian outlets Tasnim and Fars reported that Tehran sent a 14-point plan to Washington through a Pakistani intermediary in response to a nine-point U.S. framework; Iranian state media have not published the plan’s details, and Pakistan has previously facilitated exchanges between the two sides. The latest reporting follows the White House’s rejection of an earlier Iranian offer, though diplomatic channels remain open and a ceasefire that has entered its third week appears to be holding. Washington has also outlined a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint that handles roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas shipments. U.S. authorities have warned shipping companies they may face sanctions for paying Iran to secure safe passage after Tehran effectively disrupted traffic following the outbreak of hostilities on February 28. Iran at times has proposed escorted routes closer to its coast and has sought fees for such services. The U.S. warning specifically cautions against transactions involving cash, digital assets, offsets, informal swaps or other in-kind payments, including certain charitable transfers or payments made through Iranian diplomatic missions. Those financial measures are intended to complement the naval restrictions, which were put in place on April 13 with the stated aim of cutting a critical source of revenue for Tehran’s strained economy. This report is based on a syndicated feed (ANI).
