TEHRAN – Iran’s Petroleum Ministry confirmed on Saturday that neither of the two oil tankers that collided off Singapore on Friday carried Iranian crude.

“The crude oil of neither of these damaged oil tankers was related to Iran and did not belong to Iran,” the ministry said in a statement

The incident involving two large oil tankers occurred about 55 kilometers northeast of Pedra Branca island, on the eastern approach to the Singapore Straits. The Singapore-flagged Hafnia Nile, carrying approximately 300,000 barrels of naphtha, collided with the Sao Tome and Principe-flagged tanker Ceres I. 

The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) confirmed that all 22 crew members on the Hafnia Nile and 40 crew members on the Ceres I were accounted for. Two crew members were airlifted to a hospital, while others were rescued from life rafts.

Shortly after the collision, some Western media outlets spurred speculations about the fuel Ceres I was carrying, alleging that the crude carrier had been transferring 2 million barrels of Iranian oil to China. 

The U.S. has been pouring significant efforts into hindering Iran’s oil exports through debilitating sanctions. Despite that, Iran has been successful in selling and transferring its oil, with its biggest customer believed to be China.