The first tankers carrying Iranian oil have exited the US naval blockade zone near the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24hrs, according to shipping monitors, marking the first significant movement of Iranian crude exports in two months.
The development comes ahead of formal US-Iran talks due to begin on Friday in Switzerland, where both sides are expected to launch negotiations under the recently agreed upon memorandum of understanding.
According to tanker tracking service TankerTrackers, at least two supertankers operated by the National Iranian Tanker Company —DIONA and HERO2 — left the blockade area carrying a combined 3.8 million barrels of crude oil. The group later reported that a third tanker had also departed.
According to open-source tracking data, five Iranian vessels crossed the US blockade line in the Gulf of Oman over the past 24 hours, reports CBS News.
The vessels included three crude oil tankers, a bulk carrier and a container ship. All departed from southern Iran and appeared to be heading east.
Another sanctioned tanker, Stream, switched off its tracking signal as it approached the blockade zone after departing from Karachi, Pakistan.
Two more vessels, the crude oil tanker Herby and the bulk carrier Aries, were also reported to be heading towards the area.
All of the ships are Iranian-flagged and linked to either the National Iranian Tanker Company or the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, both of which remain under US sanctions.
The renewed movement follows reports that Washington will allow Iran to resume oil and fuel exports under the terms of the new agreement. According to reports, sanctions waivers linked to oil sales are expected to take effect immediately after the memorandum is formally signed.
Despite the departures, commercial shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz remains far below normal levels.
So far, a very small number of vessels are currently transiting the strategic waterway, compared to the historical average of around 135 ships per day.
