After months of disruption, oil exports from Iran finally increased after Tehran and Washington reached a peace deal.
Eleven tankers carrying 20 million barrels of crude departed from a Gulf of Oman port, according to shipping data cited by Bloomberg.
The ships were previously unable to sail into the Indian Ocean due to a US military blockade aimed at limiting Iran’s access to oil revenues.
Most of the country’s oil goes to China. The increase in exports comes with Iran’s continued efforts to regulate maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Persian Gulf State Authority, which oversees transit operations, has published guidance for ships to follow specified routes and explains how tolls may be levied on ships passing through the waterway.
Since the signing of the MoU on Wednesday, Chabahar has emerged as the most visible outlet for increased energy shipments.
The port, located near Iran’s border with Pakistan and outside the Persian Gulf, has seen clear evidence of additional oil flows despite hopes that the agreement will ease the movement of oil and gas across the wider region.
However, uncertainty remains over the long-term outlook. Talks between the United States and Iran on a permanent peace deal, which were set to begin in Switzerland on Friday, have been delayed.
The postponement followed overnight clashes between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in southern Lebanon. It is unclear whether this delay will have any impact on shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
Traffic appeared light in the area on Friday morning. No non-Iranian tankers were seen leaving the Persian Gulf compared to Thursday, when ships carrying about 10 million barrels were either transiting or had already exited the Strait of Hormuz.
The supertanker Tenzan, which was carrying a full cargo, later appeared in the Gulf of Oman after transiting the strait overnight. Additional cargo movement may become evident in the coming days. Ships are travelling through Hormuz with their transponders turned off, often following routes close to Oman’s coastline.
