A vessel that appeared to be carrying the first Iranian crude cargo to India for close to seven years has now changed course, and is signaling its destination as China, ship-tracking data show.
The Aframax Ping Shun, carrying about 600,000 bl of Iranian crude, is now shown heading for Dongying in China after previously signalling its destination as Vadinar in India, according to data from Kpler and Vortexa. The reroute brings the shipment back into Iran's usual export pattern, with China emerging as the main destination for Tehran's heavily sanctioned and discounted crude in recent years. Vortexa data show China took more than 90pc of Iran's crude exports in 2025. The cargo's final destination could still change.
Ping Shun, which was sanctioned by the US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (Ofac) in 2025, is on a time charter to Iran's state-owned oil firm NIOC, ship brokers said. The vessel loaded at Kharg Island in early March.
The cargo initially appeared to open a narrow window for India's first known Iranian crude delivery since May 2019, when US sanctions waivers that had allowed limited imports were withdrawn. India had previously supported the trade through alternative payment and marine insurance arrangements.
A temporary US waiver issued on 21 March for Iranian crude loaded on or before 20 March and discharged by 19 April briefly revived that possibility. But the waiver did not amount to broader sanctions relief, and market participants said trades involving sanctioned vessels still face heavy compliance scrutiny. Some said payment-related hurdles may also have prompted the reroute.
The voyage comes as the US-Israel war with Iran enters its second month with no clear resolution in sight, raising concerns over prolonged supply disruption. US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Washington would hit Iran "extremely hard" over the next two to three weeks.
