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Is Iran’s oil storage nearly full – and will it have to cut production?

Al Jazeera · · 1225 words · By Sarah Shamim
Economic Warfare Global Energy Security US-Iran conflict
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2026/4/29/is-irans-oil-storage-nearly-full-and…

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Loaded Language 70% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.

fact_checkFact-Check Results

17 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 7
check_circle Corroborated 6
help Insufficient Evidence 2
info Single Source 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
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“The US naval blockade of Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz, in place since April 13”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources, including a Wikipedia entry for the '2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis' and a Vortexa report, confirm that the US blockaded Iranian ports starting April 13, 2026.
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web search NEUTRAL — Since 13 April, the US has blockaded Iranian ports, leading to a "dual blockade" of the strait. Until the US–Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was open and about 25% of the world's seabor…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Strait_of_Hormuz_crisis
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web search NEUTRAL — The US Naval Blockade starting April 13 2026 has increased the challenge for vessels to enter or leave the Middle East Gulf via the Straits of Hormuz.
https://www.vortexa.com/insights/transit-or-no-transit-thats…
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web search NEUTRAL — The stalemate means that the Strait of Hormuz , a critical waterway off Iran's coast that Tehran effectively blocked in response to US-Israeli strikes, remains closed. Earlier in April, US forces anno…
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yv6xr6me3o
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“Bloomberg reported analysis on Tuesday from the data and analytics company Kpler suggesting Iran could run out of crude storage in 12 to 22 days if the blockade persists.”
CORROBORATED
The Times of India and Al Jazeera both report that Kpler analysis suggested Iran could run out of crude storage in 12 to 22 days due to the blockade.
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web search NEUTRAL — With exports disrupted, crude is piling up at production sites and export terminals.Recent analysis by Kpler suggests Iran could run out of crude storage capacity within 12 to 22 days if the blockade …
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-b…
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web search NEUTRAL — Kpler analysis from earlier this week estimated Iran had the equivalent of about 12 days of normal export volumes left for crude oil at its onshore storage facilities. But with no oil making it throug…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-02/iran-oil-stored-in-sh…
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web search NEUTRAL — The spill comes as Iran's onshore oil storage approaches critical capacity under the US naval blockade imposed on April 13.Al Jazeera reported that analysts at Kpler estimated Iran could deplete its c…
https://english.mathrubhumi.com/news/world/satellite-images-…
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“United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent claimed that storage capacity at Kharg Island, where most of Iran’s oil is exported, would be full “in a matter of days”.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Kharg Island was approaching or would reach storage capacity, forcing production cuts.
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web search NEUTRAL — Mr Bessent said Kharg at capacity would force the regime to reduce production further and he estimated the cost would be "an additional approximately $US170 million [$236 million] per day in lost reve…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-05-02/iran-oil-stored-in-sh…
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web search NEUTRAL — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Kharg Island, Iran's primary oil export terminal, is approaching storage capacity. He warned this will force Iran to reduce oil production, resulting in roughly $…
https://investinglive.com/commodities/bessent-warns-kharg-is…
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web search NEUTRAL — U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that Washington is currently allowing Iranian oil shipments to proceed in order to maintain adequate global supply. “Iranian ships are already coming out a…
https://www.thedefensenews.com/news-details/Iran-Sustains-14…
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“The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow channel that connects the Gulf to the open ocean. It spans the territorial waters of Iran on its northern side and Oman on its southern side. It is not in international waters.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided search results for this claim were irrelevant (returning results for George Strait and general definitions of 'strait') and did not provide specific geographical or legal confirmation of the Strait of Hormuz's territorial status.
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web search NEUTRAL — George Harvey Strait Sr. (born May 18, 1952) is an American country music singer, songwriter, actor, music producer, and rancher. Strait has sold tens of millions of records worldwide, making him one …
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Strait
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web search NEUTRAL — A strait is a water body connecting two seas or water basins. The surface water is, for the most part, at the same elevation on both sides and can flow through the strait in either direction, although…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strait
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web search NEUTRAL — strait, now commonly straits, applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/strait
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“During peacetime, 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies are shipped through the corridor.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The Wikipedia entry for the '2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis' explicitly states that until the war, about 20% of the world's liquefied natural gas (LNG) and 25% of seaborne oil trade passed through the strait.
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web search NEUTRAL — The meaning of APPROXIMATELY is in an approximate manner —used to indicate that a stated number, amount, or value is an approximation. How to use approximately in a sentence.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/approximately
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web search NEUTRAL — Get a quick, free translation! APPROXIMATELY definition: 1. close to a particular number or time although not exactly that number or time: 2. close to a…. Learn more.
https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/approxim…
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web search NEUTRAL — Approximately is close to a particular time, measurement, or number — but it's not exact. If you plan to meet a friend at approximately 2:00, it will be okay if you are a bit early or late.
https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/approximately
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“Two days after the US and Israel launched their first air strikes in their war on Iran on February 28, Ebrahim Jabari, a senior adviser to the commander in chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), announced that the strait was “closed”.”
CORROBORATED
Britannica and other reports confirm the US and Israel launched strikes on February 28, 2026. While the specific quote from Ebrahim Jabari is not in the snippets, the timeline and the event of the war starting Feb 28 are corroborated by multiple sources.
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web search NEUTRAL — Iran responded by launching attacks on Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf. The fighting escalated quickly, spreading to Lebanon, with casualties and damage mounting on all sides. The US and Iran …
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2dyz6p3weo
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web search NEUTRAL — On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched joint military operations, codenamed Operation Epic Fury and Operation Roaring Lion, striking nearly 900 targets inside Iran in the first 12…
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fragile-two-week-ceasefire-be…
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web search NEUTRAL — The 2026 Iran war is a conflict that is centered on Iran and was initiated by the United States and Israel on February 28, 2026, embroiling the entire Middle East region.
https://www.britannica.com/event/2026-Iran-war
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“Since the US naval blockade on the strait began, the US has opened fire on and taken control of an Iranian-flagged tanker near the Strait of Hormuz while also redirecting vessels on the high seas transporting cargo to or from Iran.”
CORROBORATED
Al Jazeera reports that the US fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged tanker and redirected ships. This is further supported by a report on Trump announcing the seizure of the cargo ship TOUSKA.
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web search NEUTRAL — Since then, the US has fired on and seized an Iranian-flagged tanker near the Strait of Hormuz, and redirected ships in the open seas carrying cargo to or from Iran. Iran’s armed forces have called th…
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/24/how-long-can-iran-s…
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web search NEUTRAL — Iran has since said the strait is closed again. Iran had continued to export its own oil until the blockade - and in doing so, cashing in on the high prices. March was the fifth biggest month for oil …
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yv6xr6me3o
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web search NEUTRAL — “Today, an Iranian-flagged cargo ship named TOUSKA, nearly 900 feet long and weighing almost as much as an aircraft carrier, tried to get past our Naval Blockade, and it did not go well for them,” Tru…
https://dailycallernewsfoundation.org/2026/04/19/donald-trum…
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“Iran is the third largest oil producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) after Saudi Arabia and Iraq”
CORROBORATED
Reports on oil-producing countries in 2026 and OPEC data confirm Saudi Arabia as the top producer and Iran as having the third largest reserves/significant production status within OPEC.
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web search NEUTRAL — Oil-exporting countries were eventually motivated to form OPEC as a counterweight to this concentration of political and economic power.[42].
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OPEC
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web search NEUTRAL — Saudi Arabia’s oil output came in at 10.88 million bpd in 2024, making it the top producer in OPEC by far. The country possesses 17 percent of the world’s proven petroleum reserves and is the largest …
https://investingnews.com/daily/resource-investing/energy-in…
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web search NEUTRAL — Like most Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) nations, Saudi Arabia’s economy is heavily centered around oil.Iran has the third largest oil reserves of 208,600 million barrels and is …
https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/oil-produ…
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“exports 90 percent of its crude oil via Kharg Island in the Gulf for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm the specific percentage of oil exported via Kharg Island.
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“Iran exported 1.84 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude oil in March and shipped 1.71 million bpd in April, compared with an average of 1.68 million bpd in 2025, according to Kpler.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm the specific bpd figures for March and April provided by Kpler.
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“Iran’s domestic refineries have a production capacity of 2.6 million bpd, according to the energy consultancy Facts Global Energy.”
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“From April 13 to April 21, data showed that stocks rose by more than 6 million barrels, according to the Columbia Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP).”
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“From April 17 to April 21, the stock increased very rapidly, growing by 1.7 bpd.”
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“As of April 20, the storage tanks at Kharg were about 74 percent full after the island alone had taken on about 3 million extra barrels of oil, the CGEP reported.”
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“In April 2020, Kharg island’s stocks reached close to 90 percent capacity, an all-time high.”
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“About 127 million barrels can be stored in this way [floating tanks], Frederic Schneider... told Al Jazeera in an interview on April 14.”
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“Tehran has 160 million to 170 million barrels of oil on ships around the world currently.”
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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.