Iran Urgently Pulls Out Oil Due To Threat Of Israeli Strikes
- 19.06.2025, 22:14
Satellite imagery.
Iran has begun urgently removing oil from its export terminals, fearing possible Israeli airstrikes on its infrastructure. Satellite imagery captures overflowing tanks on Kharg Island and active tanker loading.
This is reported by Bloomberg.
Iran is actively removing oil reserves on ocean-going tankers. Meanwhile, storage tanks at the country's critical export terminal on Kharg Island are overflowing with crude.
The oil storage tanks on Kharg Island are said to have floating roofs that rise and fall during emptying and filling, meaning it is possible to get clues from above about how much oil they contain by examining their shadows.
The June 11 images show that almost all of the large tanks had roofs well below the top of the walls, meaning the tanks were only partially filled.
And the June 18 photo, a few days after the Israeli attacks began, shows that there are no such shadows, indicating that the roofs are now on top of the walls and the tanks are full.
The shadows from the oil tanks themselves are still on the ground next to them, confirming that their absence is not due to a lack of sunlight. The images were taken less than 10 minutes apart.
The co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, a firm specializing in monitoring Iran's and other countries' clandestine oil trade using satellite imagery, Samir Madani, also confirmed that he had observed "an increase in crude oil reserves on the island."
The publication notes that this would not be expected, given that Iran is increasing its exports.
In theory, if exports are significantly higher than normal, storage tanks should empty, unless Iran is sending even more crude to the facility.
Madani said Iran's oil exports also rose sharply after the Israeli strikes last Friday.
According to TankerTrackers.com, it exported an average of 2.33 million barrels per day during the five days that the attacks began on June 13. That's 44% more than the average for the year through June 14.
"It seems pretty clear what they're doing. They are trying to produce as many barrels as possible, but security is their priority," Madani said.
A significant portion of Iran's oil is stored in tightly packed tanks in Kharz, making it more vulnerable to attack than cargoes on ships scattered around the Persian Gulf or bound for China.
Planet Labs satellite images from June 11, days before Israel's first attack, show tankers, most of them very large oil tankers, each of which can hold about 2 million barrels, anchored in the sheltered waters between Kharg Island and the Iranian mainland. A comparison with previous photos shows that this is quite normal for the number of ships anchored there.
The second photo, taken on June 17, however, shows all the ships dispersed, leaving none at anchor near the island.
It is important to note that the above photos show only the central part of the anchorage for visual clarity. They do not include tankers anchored further away from the island.