Iran’s Oil Ministry said it sold about $18 billion worth of crude oil during the war with the United States and the subsequent ceasefire, despite severe disruptions to its energy exports.
According to the ministry, Iran sold $11.5 billion of oil during the war and a further $6.5 billion during the ceasefire. The ministry said the revenue represented more than 60 percent of the oil income projected in the country’s annual budget.
The statement contrasts with an earlier claim by Iranian parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf that Iran had been unable to export oil during the US blockade of its ports.
The conflict began on February 28 following US-Israeli strikes on Iran. A ceasefire in April largely halted the fighting, but hostilities resumed in July amid renewed tensions over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global oil shipmen
