According to reports citing Wall Street Journal analysis, Iran has significantly depleted its 'shadow' fleet of oil tankers. These vessels were previously used to store excess crude oil at sea, allowing the country to bypass international sanctions and maintain export levels despite US-led restrictions. The depletion of these reserves suggests that Iran's ability to buffer against market fluctuations or circumvent trade barriers has been curtailed by the ongoing US blockade.

The situation highlights the effectiveness of current US maritime enforcement strategies, which have targeted the logistics and insurance networks supporting the shadow fleet. While Iran has historically relied on these tankers to keep oil flowing to international buyers, the current lack of available storage indicates a shift in the country's economic leverage. Analysts suggest that this exhaustion of reserves may force Iran to either reduce production or find new, more difficult methods to move its oil to market. There is no official confirmation from Iranian state media regarding the status of these specific reserves, as the country typically characterizes its oil trade as resilient against foreign pressure.