Around 20 empty Iranian oil tankers are stranded about 15 miles off Sri Lanka’s southwest coast, with food, fuel and fresh water running short, The Wall Street Journal reported.
In recent weeks, US officials pressured Sri Lanka to stop local ships from supplying the tankers and their crews, said the report, citing Sri Lankan government documents and companies that provide provisions to the vessels.
Dozens of Iranian or Iran-linked tankers involved in transporting sanctioned oil to China have been stuck near Asian countries, including Sri Lanka and Malaysia, since the United States reimposed its Strait of Hormuz blockade in July, the report said.
The Trump administration is seeking to force Iran to make concessions in the conflict, the report said. Washington has also imposed new sanctions on Iran and warned its trading partners to sever ties with Tehran.
