Iranian tankers carrying millions of barrels of crude oil have passed through the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, just days before the U.S.-Iran peace deal is set to be unveiled. Two tankers named Diona and Hero 2 — which are both under U.S. sanctions — made it through the blockade carrying an estimated 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil, according to the shipping data website TankerTrackers. "At least two National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) VLCC supertankers named DIONA (9569695) and HERO2 (9362073) have exited the US Navy blockade perimeter carrying a combined total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil between them," TankerTrackers said on X. It added later: "A 3rd NITC tanker, a Suezmax at that, has now exited the blockade line with 1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil." President Donald Trump imposed a naval blockade on Iran in April after negotiations in Pakistan collapsed without an agreement. The measure was intended to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping and stop the country from interfering with maritime traffic. Meanwhile, the U.S.-Iran peace deal is set to be announced at a signing ceremony at the Bürgenstock resort in Switzerland on Friday. The details of the deal have not yet been announced, but Trump said that the critical Strait of Hormuz will be "completely open." "I think a lot of great things are going to happen in the Middle East right now. And very importantly, the oil is plummeting down and the stock market is shooting up like a rocket today," Trump said at the G7 meeting in France this week. "The main thing is that Iran will not have a nuclear weapon. They fully agreed to that with strong policing powers, and they won’t have a nuclear weapon, which is what it was all about." This is a developing story. More to follow.
Iranian tankers carrying millions of barrels of crude oil have passed through the U.S. blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, just days before the U.S.-Iran peace deal is set to be unveiled. Two tankers named Diona and Hero 2 — which are both under U.S. sanctions — made it through the…
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A tanker identified as the Kaifan was struck by an unknown projectile northeast of Oman’s Limah in the Strait of Hormuz, according to a July 21 report from UK Maritime Trade Operations. No ships were observed transiting the strait that day. Attribution of the strike and links to prior incidents have not been confirmed by the vessel’s owner.
Goldman Sachs has projected Brent crude averaging $80 per barrel in the fourth quarter and $75 in the following year, conditional on reduced Middle East tensions, while noting upside risks from potential shipping disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz or Red Sea.
Brent prices rose above $91 per barrel amid recent U.S.-Iran exchanges and Houthi threats to Saudi shipments before edging lower on Tuesday. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that mediators had proposed a 10-day ceasefire to preserve an interim agreement.
US forces struck the tanker Settebello in the Gulf of Oman on June 10, killing three Indian crew members when munitions hit the engine room and adjacent areas. Maritime tracking data indicate the vessel had transported Iranian oil under US sanctions for several years and conducted offshore transfers prior to the strike.
The US military described the action as a precision operation, while reports note the ship was stationary at the time.
Iranian officials reported strikes on US radar and air defense sites in Kuwait and Bahrain, along with the interception of two oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. The United States conducted strikes on Iranian targets following the deaths of three US soldiers, with the Pentagon stating the actions aimed to degrade capabilities affecting shipping.
Houthi forces in Yemen announced plans to blockade Saudi ports, while both US and Iranian leaders issued statements on further escalation.