Three tankers carrying Iranian oil have left the Strait of Hormuz – for the first time since the US naval blockade began two months ago, according to a website tracking ship movements on 17 June.
This comes as senior representatives from Iran and the US are due to sign a preliminary agreement in Switzerland on 19 June aimed at ending the war.
The Tanker Trackers website, which monitors the storage and transport of oil cargoes, confirmed the movement of “the first Iranian crude oil export in two months”, based on digital data cross-referenced with satellite imagery.
“At least two tankers belonging to the National Iranian Tanker Company, including two very large supertankers carrying crude oil named Diona and Hero 2, have passed through the US Navy’s maritime blockade, having loaded a total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil from the country’s terminals, and are heading for their destinations,” Tanker Trackers stated in a post on social media platform X.
The company then announced that a third Iranian tanker had passed through the US naval blockade.
The United States and Iran have signed a framework agreement electronically to end the three-month conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, senior US administration officials reported on 15 June. The official signing ceremony is expected to take place on 19 June.
According to numerous reports, the document provides for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US naval blockade of Iran. It also provides for a 60-day extension of the current ceasefire, during which negotiations on Iran’s nuclear programme are to take place. Trump emphasises that Iran will not possess nuclear weapons.