01/10/2026
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01/10/2026
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COLOMBO, Oct 1: Around 20 empty Iranian oil tankers are stranded about 15 miles off Sri Lanka’s southwestern coast, with food, fuel and fresh water reportedly running short, amid a US pressure campaign targeting Iran’s oil trade, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
According to the WSJ, the tankers are drifting with their engines idled after delivering sanctioned Iranian oil, primarily to China. Dozens of Iranian or Iran-linked vessels have reportedly remained in waters around Sri Lanka and Malaysia since July, when the United States reimposed its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The newspaper, citing Sri Lankan government documents and companies that supply provisions to vessels, reported that US officials in recent weeks pressured Sri Lanka to prevent local ships from supplying the tankers and their crews. The report said the move has left some vessels facing shortages of basic provisions.
Sri Lankan authorities have previously said Iranian and other vessels operating near the country are being monitored and are outside Sri Lanka’s territorial waters. Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath said in September that 47 vessels had been identified in the vicinity, including some Iranian vessels, and that they were operating in international waters.
The WSJ reported that the Trump administration is seeking to increase pressure on Tehran and has imposed additional sanctions on Iran while warning countries and companies trading with the country of potential consequences. The report described the situation as a consequence of Washington’s broader effort to disrupt Iran’s sanctioned oil exports and shipping network.
The developments have left a growing number of Iranian-linked tankers idle in Asian waters after unloading their cargoes, with vessels unable to return to Iranian ports under the US blockade. Reuters previously reported that dozens of Iran-linked tankers were waiting off Sri Lanka and Malaysia, while empty vessels faced difficulties returning to Iran.
