Iran Faced The Blockade Of Its Ports During The War. Now It Says It Is Selling Oil Much Higher Than Before.
Iran said it has sold more than 40 million barrels of oil since the U.S. lifted the blockade of its ports following the ceasefire, and is doing so at prices that are roughly 20% higher than before the war.
The figure was given by parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and is lower than the one from tanker tracking firm TankerTrackers, which said the country has exported 10 million more barrels.
Brent crude oil, the international benchmark, is trading at around $72 per barrel on Tuesday, close to pre-war prices. However, the country no longer has to sell barrels at a discount of between $10 and $15 a barrel below the benchmark to compensate buyers for the risk of buying sanctioned crude, considering they have been waved following the ceasefire.
The countries have begun indirect talks in Qatar with the mediation of local and Pakistani officials. Citing a source with direct knowledge of the discussions, CBS News noted that U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Tuesday but are not attending technical talks on Wednesday.
An Iranian official told Reuters that talks were focused on the release of Tehran’s frozen assets and the Strait of Hormuz.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday that Qatar released $6 billion in frozen funds belonging to the country after the country exchanged strikes with the U.S. in the Strait of Hormuz during the weekend.
“Based on the plans made, $6 billion out of the total $12 billion of Iranian resources in Qatar will be released and returned to the country, and necessary follow-ups are being carried out,” Pezeshkian said in remarks posted by state-run IRNA news agency. He went on to praise the deal reached with the U.S., calling it a “great victory for the Iranian people.”
The Associated Press noted that, according to U.S. officials, no frozen Iranian assets have been released so far, and Qatar has not acknowledged any such transfers.
At the same time, President Donald Trump has reportedly held conversations with top officials about returning to an all-out war with Iran.
The Wall Street Journal detailed that the president has held multiple conversations with top officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine about the possibility of conducting renewed strikes.
However, officials familiar with the discussions said Trump has so far decided to stick with diplomacy. He has reportedly told officials that another round of widespread strikes could hurt Washington’s push to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. So far he is fine with isolated strikes should Tehran conduct actions considered a violation of the ceasefire.
