Iran Bypasses US Naval Blockade During 40-Day War
Iran's petroleum minister, Mohsen Paknejad, announced that the country has successfully bypassed the US naval blockade to maintain oil deliveries throughout the 40-day war. Despite attacks on oil and gas infrastructure, Iran continued to export crude oil without interruption from February 28 until the temporary ceasefire was established.
The war failed to halt Iran's crude exports, even as Iranian energy infrastructure came under repeated attack. The South Pars gas complex, one of the country's most strategically important energy assets, was among the facilities targeted during the fighting.
Paknejad stated that the first blockade lasted from around April 13 until June 18 and involved a line stretching from Ras al-Hadd to Pakistan's Gwadar port. Iranian authorities adopted measures to keep oil sales and deliveries moving despite the restrictions.
A temporary pause in the blockade gave Iran an opportunity to move a significant volume of crude outside the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, positioning it in locations from which it could subsequently be delivered to customers.