Iran Says It's Found Ways to Dodge U.S. Oil Blockade
Iran pursues various tactics to bypass the U.S. blockade, which President Trump reimposed in the middle of July after the deal to make a deal collapsed, according to Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad. “The oil industry has not sat idle and has not stopped,” Iranian media quoted the minister as saying. “We are pursuing various solutions and different measures so that we can reach a day when we…
Iran is employing multiple strategies to circumvent the U.S. oil blockade, which was reinstated by President Trump in mid-July, according to Iranian Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad. Paknejad stated that the oil sector has remained active and is actively seeking methods to circumvent the blockade entirely. During the three-week period when the U.S. blockade was suspended between mid-June and mid-July, Iran was able to export a significant amount of oil from the Persian Gulf, according to Paknejad.
However, vessel-tracking services estimate that Iran's oil exports dropped in August after the blockade was reinstated, with exports down to 260,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 1.7 million bpd in August 2025. August exports were also more than halved compared to 740,000 bpd in July 2026. The U.S. blockade has reportedly crippled Iran's oil exports and revenues, with estimates showing a 100% drop in August 2026 compared to the pre-war baseline of January and February 2026.
China, Iran's primary and almost sole oil buyer, has pledged to maintain its trade relations with Iran despite the U.S. sanctions.
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