Iran's oil exports fall to zero in September as US blockade bites
Tanker-tracking data shows Iran loaded no new crude oil onto tankers in September, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying the country's oil shipments have ground to a halt under "Operation Economic Outcast".
Iran’s oil exports fall to zero in September as US blockade bites
WASHINGTON — Iran loaded no new crude oil onto tankers in September, according to tanker-tracking data, as a United States naval blockade continues to choke off Tehran’s most valuable revenue stream.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post that Iran loaded “ZERO crude oil” onto tankers in September and linked the development to the administration’s “Operation Economic Outcast”. Iran International’s report, citing Kpler and TankerTrackers data, said Iran’s crude loadings had effectively stopped.
Kpler data showed Iran had not loaded new oil at its terminals since mid-August, while no Iranian cargo had crossed the US blockade line since mid-July. Tehran accumulated around 67 million barrels aboard tankers anchored in its southern waters by mid-August, and as access to empty tankers grew increasingly limited, new loadings stopped.
Around 15 million barrels of Iranian oil remained on the water in Asian waters as of last week. Most of those cargoes had already been sold, according to Kpler analyst Homayoun Falakshahi.
Iran’s oil production has consequently been cut to around 1.8 million barrels per day, roughly the level required for domestic consumption and about half its pre-war output, according to Falakshahi.
Bessent told Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” on September 27 that Iran’s final oil deliveries to China were expected within about two weeks. On September 19, US Central Command chief Adm. Brad Cooper said Iran had exported “zero barrels” thanks to the US “ironclad blockade”.
Sources: Times Now — https://www.timesnownews.com/world/middle-east/middle-east-oil-rebound-iran-oil-exports-drop-to-zero-as-gulf-crude-traffic-returns-to-pre-war-levels-article-156261320 ; New York Post — https://nypost.com/2026/09/27/us-news/irans-economy-will-have-nothing-left-within-two-weeks-scott-bessent-warns/ ; Times of Israel — https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/us-central-command-chief-1-billion-barrels-of-crude-oil-allowed-to-exit-through-hormuz-in-recent-months/
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