Three Iranian oil tankers have sailed past the US Navy blockade of the Strait of Hormuz for the first time in two months, analysts said.
The Iranian-flagged Diona, Hero II and Sonia I crude oil tankers were recorded going past the US blockade line in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday, three days ahead of Friday’s peace signing, when the American warships in the Gulf were set to end their patrol.
The tankers sailed through without employing any of Tehran’s usual shadow fleet tactics, with the vessels openly broadcasting their location for the first time since March, maritime intelligence firm Windward told the BBC.
The three vessels are carrying a combined 4.8 million barrels of crude oil, according to TankerTrackers.com.
That export alone would be more than 10 times the amount that Iran’s exports had dropped to because of the US blockade on Iranian ports. Tehran shipped out an estimated 260,000 barrels per day in May, according to maritime intelligence firm Kpler.
