Iran Oil Exports Continue Despite U.S. Waiver Cancellation, Minister Say
Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad declared on Tuesday that the country’s crude exports are proceeding without disruption, following the recent removal of a U.S. sales exemption. This statement comes as Tehran remains defiant and committed to controlling the Strait of Hormuz amid renewed hostilities and the reimposed American naval blockade, as reported by Shana, the news outlet of Iran’s Oil Ministry.
Read also: Strait of Hormuz Traffic Drops to 11 Ships on July 12 Amid US-Iran Strikes
Paknejad noted that the Oil Ministry has spent years constructing strategies to counteract U.S. sanctions and has preserved those frameworks. He emphasized that Iran did not dismantle or modify its export approach even during the 60-day exemption period, which in practice lasted only three weeks. Because these export systems remain operational, Paknejad asserted that Iranian oil shipments will proceed at their previous rate.
The minister also faulted the United States for withdrawing the waiver, alleging that Washington failed to honor its pledges. He claimed the U.S. breached Article 10 of the pact that governed the 60-day exemptions.
According to the report, the mid-June accord now appears largely invalid following the region’s recent escalation, which involved Iranian strikes on tankers, American attacks on Iran, Tehran’s reprisals against U.S. allies in the area, and the restoration of the U.S. naval blockade aimed at halting Iranian oil exports.
Iran is believed to have moved supertankers holding a combined 12 million barrels of crude during the week from the waiver’s expiration on July 7 to July 14, when the U.S. reinstated the blockade on Iranian harbors and oil shipments. Analysts cited in the report suggest Iran will persist with its pre-conflict strategy of delivering crude to Chinese independent refiners.
Earlier this week, maritime intelligence firm Windward reported that nine sanctioned Iranian tankers vanished from tracking systems off Malaysia, carrying crude valued by Vortexa at $989 million. Windward added that these shipments are primarily destined for Shandong teapot refineries at Dongjiakou, following the established route of Iran-to-Malaysian-blend-to-China laundering.
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