Three Iranian tankers exit U.S. blockade for first time in months as shipowners eye Hormuz in 'wary disbelief'

In this screen grab from a video released by U.S. Central Command, U.S. forces operating in the Arabian Sea enforced naval blockade measures against an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel attempting to sail toward an Iranian port on April 19, 2026 in the Arabian Sea. U.S. Central Command | Getty Images At least three Iranian tankers carrying nearly five million barrels of crude oil have exited the U.S. Navy blockade in the Strait of Hormuz in the first such outbound shipment in two months, as shipowners cautiously reposition ahead of a U.S.-Iran deal signing in Geneva on Friday. Two supertankers named Diona and Hero 2 — both owned by the National Iranian Tanker Company and under U.S. sanctions — made it through the U.S. Navy blockade perimeter, carrying a combined total of 3.8 million barrels of Iranian crude oil, according to shipping data provided by Kpler. A third Iran-linked tanker carrying 1 million barrels of Iranian crude exited the blockade line on Wednesday, according to Kpler. "Their apparent departure from the blockade suggests that other Iranian-trading tankers are also preparing to resume trading," said Michelle Wiese Bockmann, senior maritime intelligence analyst at Windward. The U.S. and Iran signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Monday to end the nearly four-month war, with a formal signing ceremony to take place on Friday in Geneva. The pact, whose details have not been disclosed, is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and waive sanctions on Iran's oil sales. …