Iranian oil tankers cross blockade line ahead of US talks
Tracking data showed Iranian crude shipments moving through the Strait of Hormuz before planned negotiations in Switzerland.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
Several tankers carrying Iranian oil have crossed a United States blockade line near the Strait of Hormuz, according to TankerTrackers. The movements matter because they came days before Washington and Tehran are due to begin talks on ending their war and easing restrictions on Iranian oil sales.
TankerTrackers, a maritime monitoring service that follows oil shipments and storage, said Wednesday that digital signals backed by satellite images showed Iran resuming crude exports after a two-month halt. The service identified multiple vessels linked to the National Iranian Tanker Company.
According to TankerTrackers, the Diona and Hero 2 moved out of the blockade area Tuesday with a combined 3.8 million barrels of Iranian oil. The service also said another tanker, Stream, was heading toward Iranian ports on Wednesday.
A third National Iranian Tanker Company vessel, carrying 1 million barrels of Iranian crude, crossed the US Navy blockade line in the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday, TankerTrackers said. In a post on X, the service identified that tanker as the Sonia I and said it passed the line at 01:11 GMT.
Talks set for Switzerland
The tanker movements came before planned US-Iran negotiations at the Burgenstock resort in Switzerland, Al Jazeera and AFP reported. The talks are scheduled to begin Friday after the two sides sign a memorandum of understanding, according to officials cited by Al Jazeera and AFP.
The war began after US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, Al Jazeera and AFP reported. News that the Strait of Hormuz would reopen drove global oil prices lower, according to their report.
Officials cited by Al Jazeera and AFP said the negotiations are expected to run for 60 days. The talks are aimed at producing an agreement on Iran’s nuclear programme and a plan to remove international sanctions on Iran, those officials said.
Oil sanctions waiver reported
The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that the United States will permit Iran to start selling oil and fuel immediately after the memorandum is signed, citing unnamed people familiar with the agreement. The Journal said a sanctions waiver for oil sales would take effect at once.
The waiver would also apply to services tied to those sales, including banking, transportation and insurance, The Wall Street Journal reported. Those services are central to moving crude into global markets and receiving payment for shipments.
A senior US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the framework agreement had already been signed electronically, according to Al Jazeera and AFP. The official said the signatories included US President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi and Tehran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
The reported tanker crossings, sanctions waiver and Swiss talks all point to early steps in a proposed settlement, according to the accounts from TankerTrackers, The Wall Street Journal, Al Jazeera and AFP. The final terms still depend on the 60-day negotiating process described by officials.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.