Iran Exports Oil Amidst Israeli Aggression
Evacuating Oil in a Hurry
The Iranian government is hurriedly shipping its oil reserves amid fears of potential Israeli air strikes on their infrastructure. Recent satellite images display Kharg Island's reservoirs brimming, and active tanker loading.
According to Bloomberg, Iran is vigorously shipping oil from its ocean-going tankers, while its key export terminal on Kharg Island is overflowing with crude oil. The oil storage facilities on Kharg Island feature floating roofs that rise and fall during emptying and filling, providing hints about their contents through their shadows from above.
Initial satellite images from June 11 showed that the large reservoirs had only partially filled roofs, indicative of their low levels. However, photographs dated June 18, following the start of Israeli attacks, showed no shadows, suggesting that the reservoirs were now overfilled. Interestingly, the oil storage facilities' shadows still remained on the ground, confirming that the absence of roof shadows wasn't due to a lack of sunlight or changing weather conditions.
Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, a company that monitors Iran's, and other countries' covert oil trade using satellite imagery, verified that he had witnessed an "increase in crude oil stocks on the island." This increase isn't typical given Iran's growing exports.
Data from TankerTrackers.com indicates that in the five days following the attacks that began on June 13, Iran exported an average of 2.33 million barrels per day. This is significantly higher than the average for the year up until June 14, climbing by 44%.
Madani stated, "It seems quite clear what they're doing. They're trying to get as many barrels out as possible, but safety is their priority."
A substantial portion of Iranian oil is stored in densely packed reservoirs on Kharg Island, making it more vulnerable to attacks than oil on ships scattered across the Persian Gulf or en route to China.
Prior to Israel's first attack in June 2025, satellite imagery from Planet Labs revealed numerous oil tankers anchored in the sheltered waters between Hormuz Island and Iran's mainland. However, by the second photograph taken on June 17, all vessels had dispersed, with no tankers left anchored near the island. It's worth noting that these images only show the central part of the anchorage and do not include tankers located further from the island.
Amid ongoing Israel-Iran tensions and the associated risks to Iran's energy infrastructure and export routes, the urgency to swiftly move oil out of Kharg Island became necessary. Iran is focusing on exporting oil earlier rather than building up storage reserves due to concerns about potential further attacks or disruptions in shipping routes, such as the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iranian government is expediting the shipping of its oil reserves, particularly from Kharg Island, amidst fears of potential Israeli air strikes on their infrastructure, as a response to the high demand in the industry. The increased oil exports from Iran, as confirmed by TankerTrackers.com, indicate that finance plays a significant role in this hastened process, with Iran prioritizing the movement of oil to secure its revenue in the global energy market.
