Iranian Oil Shipment Stuck Off the Coast of America

Informed sources have indicated that a shipment of Iranian crude oil, which is under sanctions, remains stuck off the coast of Texas, USA, after being seized by the United States eight weeks ago. The tanker is still unable to unload its cargo due to fears among commercial agents that clients will avoid dealing with any tanker carrying this shipment. One source stated, "Shipping companies are concerned that transporting Iranian crude oil on their vessels will lead other oil buyers to refuse to work with those vessels in the future." The source added, "Our legal team said (this will never happen)," noting that the tanker has yet to find any party willing to offload the oil. A Western oil official pointed out that the inability to unload the shipment is due to several reasons, including fears of Iranian retaliation. The official added that the tanker has received the necessary U.S. approvals to offload the cargo. For its part, Tehran has threatened to take strong action against any oil company that unloads Iranian oil from any seized tanker. The tanker "Suez Rajan," flying the Marshall Islands flag, has been anchored off Galveston, approximately 80 kilometers outside Houston, since May 30.