Breaking news: Iran’s chief negotiator says the country has exported more than 40 million barrels of oil since a U.S. blockade on its ports was lifted, a claim that turns energy flows into one of the clearest tests of the fragile U.S.-Iran understanding.
Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said in an interview on Iranian state television Tuesday that Iran had been unable to export “even a single barrel” during the previous 50 to 60 days of the blockade, according to CBS News. He said exports had topped 40 million barrels since the blockade ended.
The Hindu, citing Reuters updates, reported the same figure and quoted Ghalibaf saying Iran was still prioritizing diplomacy with Washington, but remained “prepared for war” if the process broke down.
Oil Flows Are Now A Deal Test
The export claim matters because the dispute is no longer only about whether U.S. and Iranian officials will sit across the same table. It is also about whether the interim deal can keep oil moving while the two sides argue over sanctions relief, frozen assets, and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Ghalibaf said Iran would not enter further negotiations until the terms of the memorandum of understanding are met. He also said Iran would not compromise on what it sees as its rights in the Strait of Hormuz, while saying toll-free passage is limited to 60 days under the agreement, according to The Hindu’s live coverage.
That keeps the waterway at the center of the crisis. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, and even partial uncertainty there can ripple through oil, LNG, insurance, and shipping markets.
Qatar Talks Continue
The oil comments came as U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met Qatar’s prime minister in Doha. Qatar’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the officials discussed ongoing U.S.-Iran peace talks and the Lebanon ceasefire, while CBS News reported that a senior Trump administration official described the conversations as positive.
Qatar has said the talks remain mediated rather than direct, a distinction that matters after conflicting public claims about whether U.S. and Iranian delegations were meeting face to face.
Shipping data has already shown Iran moving quickly to restart exports. gCaptain, citing Bloomberg, reported earlier this month that very large crude carriers had returned to Iran’s Kharg Island export terminal after a break of about six weeks.
The new 40-million-barrel figure, if accurate, suggests Tehran has regained a significant portion of its export capacity far faster than many shippers have regained confidence in the Gulf. That creates a delicate balance: Iran wants proof that the deal is producing economic relief, while Washington and regional mediators are trying to keep the ceasefire from collapsing into another round of strikes.
For now, the crisis is moving on two tracks at once: mediated diplomacy in Doha, and tanker traffic through one of the most closely watched waterways in the world.