Iran accelerates oil exports as conflict with Israel heats up

June 20, 2025 (MLN): Iran is swiftly moving to export its oil, as new satellite images reveal a significant uptick in activity at its key oil facilities.

The surge in shipments comes at a time of rising tensions between Iran and Israel, following a series of missile and drone strikes exchanged by the two countries on Friday.

According to Bloomberg, oil is now flowing out of Iran’s ports in large volumes, indicating that Tehran is aiming to maximize revenue from oil sales before potential large-scale attacks disrupt its export capabilities.

Despite the increase in shipments, Iran’s largest export hub—Kharg Island—has reached full storage capacity.

Satellite images captured by Planet Labs on June 11 showed that many of the storage tanks on Kharg Island were only partially filled at the time.

These tanks, which have floating roofs that block sunlight when full, still cast shadows, suggesting they had not yet reached full capacity.

However, a second set of images taken on June 18, shortly after Israeli strikes began, showed a marked change.

The tanks now displayed no visible roof shadows, meaning they were filled to the top.

Shadows around the tanks remained, confirming that lighting conditions had not changed.

The images were taken at approximately the same time of day and under similar conditions, as Bloomberg noted.

This shift indicates that Iran had likely anticipated disruptions and began filling its storage tanks in advance.

The fact that tanks remain full even as exports rise suggests that Kharg Island is receiving even more oil than it is sending out.

Iran appears to be both stockpiling crude in case future shipments are blocked and ramping up exports while it still can.

According to a 2024 report by S&P Global Commodity Insights cited by Bloomberg, Kharg Island has the capacity to store around 28 million barrels of crude oil.

Two large tanks, each capable of holding 1m barrels, were recently repaired, though it remains unclear whether they are included in the current total.

Oil exports from Iran surged significantly following the Israeli missile strikes on June 13. Data from TankerTrackers.com shows Iran exported an average of 2.33m barrels per day in the five days after the attacks—marking a 44% increase from earlier in the year.

This may explain recent changes in Iranian tanker behavior. Satellite images from June 11 showed several large tankers—each capable of transporting about 2m barrels—waiting near Kharg Island, which experts regarded as normal.

Bloomberg reports that this reflects a shift in Iran’s strategy.

Instead of allowing tankers to idle near the island, Iran is now keeping them farther away and bringing them in only at the last moment.

The tankers arrive swiftly, load oil rapidly, and then depart immediately, minimizing the risk of being targeted during an attack.

This is not a new tactic for Iran. A similar approach was adopted in October during previous Israeli attacks, when Iran also dispersed tankers to safer zones while maintaining the flow of exports.