Iran oil minister says crude sales continue despite US naval blockade

August 27, 2026 at 06:52 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Iranian Oil Minister Paknejad said on Wednesday that Iran's crude oil sales continue in distant waters outside its territorial seas, despite the U.S. naval blockade. He was responding to Central Bank Governor Abdulnasır Himmeti's August 20 statement that Iran was exporting no oil at all. Paknejad acknowledged sales had declined due to the blockade but said necessary measures were being taken to sustain them.

Key Facts

Iranian Oil Minister Paknejad said crude sales to customers continue in distant waters outside Iran's territorial seas.
Central Bank Governor Abdulnasır Himmeti said on August 20 that Iran was exporting no oil at all.
Paknejad acknowledged that oil sales have declined due to the U.S. blockade but said they have not stopped.
The United States is blocking entry and exit to Iranian ports and Iranian ships' passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran conducts the vast majority of its oil exports to China.

Oil Minister's Response

Oil Minister Paknejad responded to questions about Central Bank Governor Himmeti's statement that Iran was exporting no oil. Paknejad said he would not provide details because disclosure would allow the information to be exploited by the enemy. He stated that sales to customers in distant waters outside Iran's territorial seas are continuing. Paknejad said the ministry is closely monitoring the situation to take necessary measures for the continuation of operations.

Central Bank Governor's Statement

Central Bank Governor Abdulnasır Himmeti said on August 20 that Iran's oil exports had completely stopped. Himmeti said that when Iranians speak with Qataris or Iraqis, they say their exports have fallen to zero. He stated that the same situation applies to Iran and that the country is exporting no oil at all. Himmeti added that this reality had been anticipated.

US Naval Blockade

The United States is enforcing a naval blockade against Iran. The blockade prevents entry and exit to Iranian ports and blocks Iranian ships from entering or leaving the Strait of Hormuz. Iran conducts the vast majority of its oil exports to China.