Iran Oil Exports Resume: Two Supertankers Carrying 3.8 Million Barrels Break Through Sanctions Blockade
N.R. Finch
Before the US-Iran deal is formally signed, Iran has sent two supertankers carrying 3.8 million barrels past the blockade line — the first exports in two months — betting the agreement will land on schedule.
Who moved, and how much oil?
Two VLCCs — very large crude carriers, each capable of hauling around 2 million barrels — belonging to Iran's national tanker company NITC have crossed the US blockade line: the Diona and the Hero2, carrying a combined ~3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude.
Ship-tracking firm TankerTrackers.com confirmed the movement via AIS data and satellite imagery, calling it Iran's first crude export in two months.
Kpler independently spotted a third Iran-linked tanker crossing the line on Wednesday with an additional ~1 million barrels. This means → in a matter of days, at least 4.8 million barrels of Iranian crude have breached the blockade.
How many more ships are queued up?
NITC's Stream is approaching the blockade line from Pakistan's exclusive economic zone, where it had been waiting for roughly seven weeks.
Another VLCC, the Dan, is even more telling: it went dark — switching off its AIS transponder, essentially the ship's GPS broadcast — on May 23 near the Riau Islands, and has now reappeared, heading back to Iran to load fresh cargo.
In plain terms = it is not just the ships already en route; vessels that were parked and waiting, plus others turning around to reload, are all moving at once — Iran is deploying its entire fleet.
The deal isn't signed yet — why are ships already moving?
According to the Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter, the US-Iran deal is expected to be formally signed in Geneva this Friday. It includes a 60-day negotiation window and a clause allowing Iran to resume oil and fuel sales immediately upon signing.
That word — "immediately" — is the trigger. Tehran read it as a starting gun and began moving before the ink is on the paper.
Michelle Wiese Bockmann, senior analyst at maritime-intelligence firm Windward, put it plainly: "Iran is wasting no time putting its tankers back into operation."
What does this signal for the market?
This reflects a reality on the water: enforcement of the blockade has already loosened in substance, even before the deal is finalized.
This means → the global crude supply picture now has a new live variable. If Iran sustains this pace, downward pressure on oil prices will get priced in ahead of schedule.
Sustainability hinges on three follow-on pieces: whether the deal is signed on time, whether Persian Gulf minesweeping and transit arrangements keep up, and whether buyers — mainly Asian refiners — are willing to take large volumes. Put simply = the ships are out, but the oil still has to find a buyer.
Content is for reference only, not financial advice.