Tehran says US naval blockade on Iranian ports ‘lifted’
Iranian officials said on Tuesday that a naval blockade imposed by the United States on Iran’s ports have been removed ahead of the formal signing of a peace understanding between Tehran and Washington in Switzerland on Friday.
Senior member of the Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi said that several Iranian ships have already broken through the US naval blockade which has been in place since April 13.
The US imposed the blockade on Iranian ports after Iran closed the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israeli aggression against Iran in February 28. The closure of the waterway caused the surge in energy prices across the world.
In an interview with ISNA, Boroujerdi said several Iranian vessels have successfully navigated through the blockade zone, effectively allowing the country to resume its export operations, which marks the first tangible benefit secured by Iran under the agreement.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Majid Takht-Ravanchi also said on Tuesday that the two-month US naval blockade on Iranian ports have been lifted.
"The lifting of the blockade was something we had emphasized from the outset. It has now begun, and the blockade has been lifted prior to the formal signing" scheduled for Friday, said Takht-Ravanchi, according to the government's website.
Earlier on the day, Iran’s state television reported the resumption of shipping by Iranian vessels in the strait.
At least three Iranian oil tankers and two cargo ships carrying essential goods have successfully broken through the US naval blockade.
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.