Tehran, May 3 (V7N) — An Iranian supertanker carrying crude oil worth more than $220 million has reached the Asia-Pacific region, reportedly bypassing a US naval blockade, according to a ship-tracking firm.

Data shared by TankerTrackers.com and reported by Al Jazeera said the Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC), owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company, is transporting approximately 1.9 million barrels of crude oil.

In a post on social media platform X on Sunday, the firm stated that the vessel, named “HUGE,” was last detected off the coast of Sri Lanka more than a week ago. It is now reportedly passing through Indonesia’s Lombok Strait and heading toward the Riau Islands.

The tanker had been in Iranian waters on April 13, the same day the United States announced a blockade on Iranian ports. The tracking company also claimed that the vessel turned off its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal after leaving the Strait of Malacca on March 20.

Earlier, on April 29, Iranian state media reported that at least 52 Iranian ships had managed to bypass the blockade.

However, US military officials said that at least 41 Iran-linked vessels had been forced to turn back since the restrictions began, maintaining that the blockade is having a significant impact.

According to US officials, the measures have cost Iran billions of dollars, disrupting oil exports and forcing the country to stockpile crude, which could eventually affect production if storage capacity is exhausted.

END/SMA/AJ