Oil tanker tracking firm TankerTrackers confirmed on June 18 that several Iranian crude oil tankers have breached the US Navy's blockade line in the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman, marking Tehran's first oil exports in two months.
According to TankerTrackers, two tankers owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC), named Diona and Hero 2, carrying a total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian oil, left the blockade area on June 17. A third NITC tanker, Sonia I, carrying 1 million barrels of crude, crossed the US Navy's blockade line in the Gulf of Oman early on June 18. Additionally, the tanker Stream is heading toward Iranian ports.
The news comes just two days before the United States and Iran are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) and begin talks at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland, aiming to reach a final agreement to end the war. The conflict began on February 28 following US and Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran.
According to officials, the negotiations will last 60 days, focusing on Iran's nuclear program and a plan to lift international sanctions. The Wall Street Journal reported that the US will allow Iran to sell oil and fuel immediately after signing the MoU, along with related services such as banking, shipping, and insurance.
A senior US official speaking on condition of anonymity said the framework agreement has been electronically signed by President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi, and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
News that the Strait of Hormuz is set to reopen has caused global oil prices to drop sharply.
