Sanctioned Iranian Tanker Slips Past U.S. Blockade, Delivers Cargo to China

Key Points:

• An Iranian tanker, the SOGL, carrying about 500,000 barrels of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), bypassed the U.S. naval blockade and delivered its cargo to China after stopping at a Malaysian anchorage, according to United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI).
• The SOGL was sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury on October 8 as part of a group of 17 shadow fleet vessels accused of transporting over two million barrels of Iranian propane/butane since September 2025.
• Since the blockade's reinstatement in July, only a few small tankers have successfully passed with Iranian LPG, while no crude oil tankers have evaded enforcement, indicating the blockade is largely effective on crude shipments.
• Malaysia's EOPL anchorage is identified as a critical point in Iran's oil trade to China, with allegations that Malaysian authorities are ignoring these activities; China now receives nearly all of Iran's oil and LPG exports.
• A significant backlog of Iranian oil tankers remains anchored along Iran's coast and abroad, contributing to a logjam that limits Tehran's oil revenue, with floating storage levels reportedly reduced since the blockade began.