BBC Verify analysis indicates vessels leaving Chabahar Port without cargo and sailing east toward Pakistan and India amid sanctions pressure.
LONDON (Horn post) Two Iran-flagged cargo vessels appear to have left Iranian ports without cargo and are sailing eastward in what analysts say may be a challenge to U.S. maritime restrictions, according to ship-tracking data reviewed by BBC Verify.
The cargo ship Ashkan3 is believed to have departed the vicinity of Chabahar Port on April 13 without carrying any freight. Tracking data shows the vessel is currently heading east toward waters near Pakistan.
A second container ship, identified as Shabdis, also left the Chabahar area on the same day, similarly without cargo. After the U.S. sanctions took effect, the vessel changed course and is now sailing toward India, with tracking signals indicating a possible destination of Zhuhai, China.
Neither vessel is reported to have transited the Strait of Hormuz since the sanction’s regime began, a key chokepoint for global energy and trade flows.
Both ships are registered under the Iranian flag, according to maritime records.
The movements come amid heightened scrutiny of Iranian shipping activity as Western sanctions continue to target Iran’s energy and logistics sectors.
BBC Verify analysis suggests the vessels’ routing patterns may reflect efforts to navigate around U.S.-led restrictions on maritime trade.
Prepared by:
Horn post staff
