The United States lifted its naval blockade of Iran on Friday — even before a formal Iran–U.S. peace deal was signed.
TankersTrackers, a website that monitors oil tankers, confirmed the end of the U.S. maritime blockade and reported that a third tanker carrying Iranian crude had slipped past the cordon.
According to the monitor, at least two VLCC (Very Large Crude Carrier) supertankers of the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), the Diona and the Hero 2, escaped the blockade. Those two vessels are estimated to carry a combined total of approximately 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil. The site also reported that a third NITC tanker crossed the blockade line carrying about 1 million barrels.
The British news agency covering the Iran–U.S. deal says Iran will be able to immediately resume oil and fuel sales, and that the relaxation of sanctions will extend to banking, transport and insurance services. The facility will be conditional on Iran’s implementation of the agreement’s terms. The U.S.–Iran agreement reportedly includes a $300 billion private investment fund, with more than $150 billion in investment already pledged.
For context, the U.S. Navy had been blocking ships bound for Iranian ports for two months prior to this development.