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Saturday, 15 August 2026dailybeirut.com
World
Two large Iranian oil tankers passed the U.S. naval blockade near Iranian ports for the first time in two months, ahead of a planned agreement with Washington on Friday.
Two major Iranian oil tankers belonging to the National Iranian Tanker Company, named Deyouna and Hero 2, navigated through the U.S.-imposed naval blockade around Iranian ports that has been in place for nearly two months, according to the maritime tracking website Tanker Trackers on Wednesday. This event occurred just days before an anticipated agreement between Tehran and Washington scheduled for Friday.
The tracking site reported on the platform X that these two vessels were carrying a combined total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil as they crossed the blockade enforced by the U.S. Navy. Later, the site indicated that a third Iranian oil tanker had also passed through the blockade.
Tanker Trackers noted that these shipments represent the first Iranian crude oil exports in two months. The organization explained that it analyzed the automatic identification system signals from the ships and compared them on Tuesday with satellite imagery to confirm the passage.
On Tuesday, the Iranian government announced that the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports, which had been in effect for about two months, was lifted ahead of the planned signing of an agreement with the United States on Friday. The two countries are set to sign a memorandum of understanding in Switzerland aimed at ending hostilities and fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz. This agreement will mark the start of two months of negotiations.
The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic maritime corridor through which one-fifth of the world’s oil production typically passes. Tehran had closed this passage following the initial Israeli-American strikes at the start of the conflict in late February.
Following recent declines in the price of Brent crude oil, the global benchmark for crude prices, the price fell below $80 per barrel on Tuesday for the first time since early March.
There are ongoing discussions about the imposition of fees and military escorts in the Strait of Hormuz. Questions remain regarding whether Washington intends to use control over the strait to encourage European involvement in the region.
