At least three tankers carrying Iranian oil have sailed through the U.S. naval blockade this week, with a fourth, an empty vessel, heading towards the Gulf of Oman, after the U.S. and Iran agreed a framework deal to reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz, shipping data showed.
The shipments indicate a gradual resumption of Iranian oil exports that are expected to add to global supplies although demand from China, its biggest buyer, has been lacklustre due to poor domestic margins.
Very Large Crude Carriers Hero II and Diona, carrying 2 million barrels of oil each, have passed through the Gulf of Oman and are heading east, ship-tracking data from Kpler and Vortexa showed.
The Suezmax Sonia I, carrying 1 million barrels of oil, has also passed the blockade and is heading to Singapore, Kpler, Vortexa and LSEG data showed. Hero II loaded its cargo in late March while the cargoes on Diona and Sonia I were loaded on April 8 to April 9, Kpler data showed.
The Iranian-linked VLCC Stream, which is empty, is moving toward the U.S. blockade, Kpler and LSEG data showed.
The U.S. blockade, imposed as Iran stopped ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, cut Iran's crude exports in May to the lowest in six years at 260,000 barrels per day, less than a fifth of the 2025 average at 1.67 million bpd, Kpler data showed.
Under the memorandum of understanding the two sides reached to end the war, the U.S. will allow Iran to immediately begin selling oil and fuel, a senior U.S. official said on Tuesday.
Expectations of more Middle East oil supply have sent global oil prices, which surged after the war started on February 28, to three-month lows.
(Reuters - Reporting by Florence Tan and Siyi Liu; Editing by Kate Mayberry)