Iran exports 18 million barrels of oil in 5 days after signing memorandum with the US
$1.44 billion in revenue, 18 million barrels, 60 days of waived transit fees and the lifting of the naval blockade. TankerTrackers recorded a surge in shipments immediately after the memorandum was finalised. Iranian tankers are already heading into international waters.
As reported by CCTV+, Iran exported nearly 18 million barrels of crude oil worth about $1.44 billion over the past five days, TankerTrackers reported on Friday on social media platform X. The sharp rise in shipments came as the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Iran and the US was finalised — announced on Monday and signed on Thursday — aimed at ending the conflict.
On Friday, Iran said that over the past 24 hours several Iranian oil tankers had passed through the Gulf of Oman and entered international waters, with more expected to follow in the coming days. According to the Iran US memorandum published on Wednesday, the US will immediately begin lifting its naval blockade of Iran. In turn, Iran will make every effort to ensure safe and unimpeded transit for commercial vessels between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman during the initial 60 day period.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) announced on Thursday the official lifting of the naval blockade on all maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas. Also on Thursday, Iran's Supreme National Security Council announced the cancellation of all transit fees for commercial vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz for the next 60 days.
On February 28, Israel and the US launched joint attacks on Tehran and other Iranian cities. Iran responded with a series of missile and drone strikes against Israeli and US bases in the region, and tightened control over the Strait of Hormuz, blocking safe passage for vessels owned by or linked to Israel and the US. The US imposed a blockade of the strait, preventing vessels heading to and from Iranian ports, after ceasefire talks with Iran in Islamabad on April 11 and 12 failed to reach an agreement.
TankerTrackers is an independent company that tracks tanker shipments via satellite data. The Iran US memorandum was signed on June 19, ending the conflict that began in late February. The fee waiver and the lifting of the blockade are practical steps toward normalising shipping. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategic corridor through which about 20% of global oil passes. Exports of 18 million barrels in five days show how quickly the market responds to unblocking.
When tankers start moving again and export figures jump to 18 million barrels, the world gets the clearest signal: the conflict is receding. Iranian oil, locked up for months by blockade, has flooded the market — bringing $1.44 billion in just five days. This is not just economics. It is the breath of freedom for a country whose economy was suffocating without exports. The waiver of fees, the lifting of the blockade, the return of tankers to international waters — each step shows that diplomacy works. As the first vessels leave the Gulf of Oman, oil traders are already counting profits. War recedes — and barrels take its place.
