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.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe oil industry has not sat idle and has not stopped,\u201d Iranian media quoted<\/a> the minister as saying.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are pursuing various solutions and different measures so that we can reach a day when we are able to completely bypass this blockade,\u201d Paknejad added.<\/p>\n Iran managed to move a lot of oil out of the Persian Gulf during the brief three-week period in which the U.S. blockade was lifted between mid-June and mid-July, the minister said.<\/p>\n Set OilPrice.com as a preferred source in Google here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Iran also claims it pursues efforts to boost oil and associated gas production despite the war and the U.S. strikes.<\/p>\n Vessel-tracking services have estimated that Iran’s oil exports plunged in August from a year earlier after the U.S. reinstated the blockade in the middle of July.<\/p>\n Iran managed to load around 260,000 barrels per day (bpd) for export at its ports in August, an 80% slump compared to 1.7 million bpd loaded in August 2025, per data from trade intelligence firm Kpler cited by CNBC<\/a>.<\/p>\n The August loadings were also more than halved compared to about 740,000 bpd in July 2026.<\/p>\n Kpler and other ship-tracking services, including Vortexa and TankerTrackers.com say the reinstated blockade has been very effective in crippling Iranian oil exports and oil revenues.<\/p>\n TankerTrackers.com this week said that its estimates showed<\/a> that Iran’s oil exports plunged by 100% in August 2026 compared to the immediate pre-war baseline of January and February 2026.<\/p>\n The U.S. is attempting to inflict maximum economic damage to Iran with the blockade and the \u2018Economic D-Day\u2019 announced last week.<\/p>\n China, Iran’s top and almost only oil buyer, has signaled<\/a> it would not end its ties and trade relations with Iran following the U.S. sanctions that target Chinese and Hong Kong entities for helping Iran do business.<\/p>\n \u201cChina will do everything necessary to firmly safeguard its rights and interests,\u201d Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said<\/a> at a regular press conference after the U.S. launched \u201cOperation Economic Outcast\u201d against Iran.<\/p>\n By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com<\/a><\/p>\n