An interesting situation is developing in the region. Several Iranian tankers have started changing their routes, and this is clearly no coincidence. It seems they are trying to avoid encounters with the American fleet at critical points along the maritime routes.

The behavior of large vessels is especially noticeable. The tanker Kariz, carrying about a million barrels of Iranian oil, has already turned around off the coast of Sri Lanka. Andromeda, an even larger vessel with two million barrels on board, also changed course while crossing the Indian Ocean. Even the empty tankers Amak and Elisabet did not stay out of it — they turned around right in the Gulf of Oman.

All these ships are under sanctions from both the US and the EU, so their maneuvers are understandable. It appears that after the US Navy announced interceptions of oil-carrying vessels, the Iranian side decided to play it safer. Especially in the Gulf of Aden, where the risk of encounters with the American fleet is highest.

The question is how long such a scheme will work. If tankers keep changing routes constantly, it will seriously complicate supply logistics. It will be interesting to see how this situation develops further.