Tanker with Iranian oil change course, heading to China — PTI

NEW DELHI, April 3. /TASS/. The tanker that was to deliver Iranian oil to India for the first time since May 2019 changed its course and goes to China now, PTI news agency said, citing Kpler analytical firm. The Times of India reported earlier that the foreign country-flagged tanker with 600,000 barrels of Iranian oil on board was to reach the Indian port of Vadinar on April 4. According to Kpler, Ping Shun tanker of the Aframax class, which was included by the United States into the sanction list in 2025, now indicates the Chinese port of Dongying as the destination. "An Iranian crude vessel 'Ping Shun' that had been en route to Vadinar, India, over the past three days has dropped India as its declared destination near arrival and is now signalling China," said Sumit Ritolia, Lead Research Analyst at Kpler. The change in the destination of Pin Shun appears to be payment-related as sellers tighten terms and move away from the earlier 30-60 day credit window toward upfront or near-term settlement, the analyst noted. "While such mid-voyage destination changes are not unprecedented with Iranian crudes, they highlight the increasing sensitivity of trade flows to financial terms and counterparty risk," he said, adding that "if the payment issues are resolved, the cargo could still make its way to an Indian refinery.