Iranian Tanker Outmanoeuvres US Blockade by Disabling Detection Until Entering Indonesia
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - A supertanker (Very Large Crude Carrier/VLCC) owned by Iran’s national company, the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), has reportedly succeeded in avoiding the US military blockade in the Gulf of Oman.
The bold move by the “HUGE” tanker has drawn international attention after TankerTrackers reported that the vessel disabled its Automatic Identification System (AIS) since March to evade detection.
Previously, the tanker was tracked off the coast of Sri Lanka more than a week ago.
According to maritime tracking information, the tanker has not transmitted an AIS signal since 20 March, when it left the Malacca Strait heading towards Iran.
It is now known that the vessel is crossing the Lombok Strait in Indonesia and heading towards the Riau Islands.
A longer route has been chosen by several Iranian tankers to deliver oil supplies to China in order to avoid the US military blockade.
The tanker is known to be carrying a cargo of around 1.9 million barrels of crude oil, with an estimated value of Rp 3.8 trillion.
Madani explained that a tanker can sail along the coasts of Pakistan and India on its journey to a relatively safe port in the Malacca Strait, where crude oil is usually transferred to another vessel heading to China.
“I think Iran will wait for an opportunity to launch a ‘Great Escape’ suddenly after they have built more storage facilities near the border with Pakistan,” said Madani, quoted from Axios.
In response to the presence of the HUGE tanker, the Foreign Ministry emphasised that the vessel’s position remains within the legal corridor.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Yvonne Mewengkang stated that Indonesia continues to adhere to international navigation rules while conducting close monitoring through diplomatic channels.
Yvonne assured that the Foreign Ministry will continue to monitor and communicate regarding the tanker’s presence in Indonesian waters.
She noted that Indonesia has recorded reports on the presence of foreign vessels in Indonesian waters.
“We will continue to monitor this situation and communicate through the appropriate diplomatic channels,” she said.
It is known that the US has imposed a blockade in the Gulf of Oman to obstruct vessels heading to or from Iranian ports since Monday (13/4/2026).
This was done because negotiations between the US and Iran failed to reach an agreement, and Tehran remains firm on blockading the Strait of Hormuz.