Exclusive: Iranian oil tankers, cargo vessels sail through as US naval blockade officially lifted

At least three Iranian oil tankers and two cargo ships carrying essential goods have successfully broken through the US naval blockade, Press TV has learned from highly informed sources.

The vessels sailed through on Monday evening, marking the first operational victory of the newly finalized memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States.

The vessels, which had been stranded for months amid the illegal American blockade aval campaign against Iranian shipping, sailed through international waters unimpeded, according to informed maritime sources speaking exclusively to Press TV.

It came less than 24 hours after the finalized memorandum of understanding (MoU) mediated by Pakistan and Qatar mandated an immediate end to the illegal US naval blockade against Iran as part of a wider cessation of hostilities on all fronts.

The secretariat of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) early on Monday confirmed that Tehran and Washington have finalized the text of an MoU on ending the imposed war, bringing an immediate and permanent halt to US-Israeli hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon, and terminating the US naval blockade against Iran.

The statement noted that the Islamic Republic, under the guidance of its martyred Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the directives of the current Leader Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, the unwavering support of the Iranian people, and the tireless efforts of the country’s armed forces, has completed a period of difficult and intensive negotiations.

“Based on the approval of the Supreme National Security Council, the text of the memorandum of understanding regarding the end-of-war negotiations between Iran and the United States was finalized on the evening of June 15,” the statement read.

“Under the agreements reached, the war and military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon, are ended immediately and permanently. Furthermore, the naval blockade against Iran is terminated immediately and completely.”

The SNSC secretariat added that the MoU will be officially signed on Friday, June 19.

Talks toward a final agreement will be postponed until after the other side has implemented its commitments under the memorandum, the secretariat said.

On Monday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the first round of negotiations with the US aimed at resolving outstanding disputes will take place immediately after the signing of an MoU in Geneva, which permanently ends the US-Israeli aggression against Iran.

“On Friday, a meeting between the heads of the delegations of the two sides is likely to take place in Switzerland, and an MoU between Iran and the US will be signed, followed by the first round of subsequent negotiations,” Araghchi said on Monday.

The US imposed its illegal blockade on Iran in April, after suffering defeat on the battlefield and failing to impose its terms during the Islamabad negotiations.

Yet, despite US warships engaging in blatant maritime banditry and piracy, intercepting and attacking tankers that attempted to break the blockade, Iran's crude continued to flow, at least to some extent, according to observers.

The MoU finalized in the Pakistan- and Qatar-mediated talks now means Iranian oil tankers and cargo vessels will be fully free to sail through both Iranian and international waters.

The US-Israeli coalition launched an unprovoked and illegal war against the Islamic Republic of Iran in late February, amid ongoing negotiations in Geneva. The aggression led to the assassination of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, along with top-ranking commanders and senior government officials.

In response, Iran's armed forces carried out multiple waves of retaliatory operations against US and Israeli assets across the region and closed the Strait of Hormuz to hostile vessels.

Press TV’s website can also be accessed at the following alternate addresses:

www.presstv.ir