▲ Hamid Bord, Managing Director of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC)
The amount of crude oil Iran has loaded for overseas transport over the past few days has reached nearly half of its monthly export volume, the head of the state-run oil company said on June 21 (local time).
According to Reuters, Hamid Bord, Managing Director of the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), stated in a state TV interview that day that more than 25 million barrels of Iranian crude oil have passed through the virtual blockade line around Iran since June 15.
According to Iran's state-run IRNA news agency, he explained that the U.S. maritime blockade on Iran has been lifted and that Iran's oil exports through the Persian Gulf are set to resume.
"In the first phase, Iranian vessels are passing beyond the virtual boundary line that was previously restricted (referring to the de facto blockade imposed by the U.S.) and are currently heading toward their destination ports," he explained.
He added, "If the previous memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the two countries is fully implemented, exports will continue at the maximum possible level."
Bord, who participated as a member of the Iranian delegation in negotiations between Iran and the U.S. held in Switzerland that day, explained that the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil was among the issues seriously addressed during the talks.
"During the negotiation process, we seriously pursued issues related to investment and the lifting of oil sanctions. A proposal for amendments regarding this has been presented to the U.S. side, and we hope to see it implemented," he said.
The talks were held from June 21 to the early hours of June 22 at the Bürgenstock Resort in Switzerland, in a four-party format involving the two parties, the U.S. and Iran, and two mediators, Qatar and Pakistan.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf served as the heads of their respective delegations.
Qatar and Pakistan announced in a joint statement after the talks concluded that the first round of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran had ended. They stated that both parties agreed to establish a high-level committee to provide political oversight regarding the implementation of the MOU, and agreed on a roadmap to sign a final peace treaty within the next 60 days.
The statement also explained that both parties agreed to establish a "de-escalation mechanism" between the two parties and Lebanon, with the assistance of the mediators, to ensure compliance with the end of military operations in Lebanon.
In addition, a "hotline" has been established between the parties to prevent accidents and miscalculations, with the aim of ensuring the safe passage of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. and Iran have agreed to continue working-level talks this week in the presence of the mediators.
(Photo: Captured from IRNA website, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.