Iran opened its first oil terminal in the Gulf of Oman, avoiding the Strait of Hormuz—a flashpoint for tensions with the United States, Israel and other countries—Iranian President Hassan Rouhani announced in a speech on Thursday.
“This is a strategic move and an important step for Iran. It will secure the continuation of our oil exports. This new crude export terminal shows the failure of Washington’s sanctions on Iran,” said Rouhani, as reported by Reuters.
He said Iran sought to export 1 million barrels of oil per day from the port of Bandar-e Jask in the Gulf of Oman. Around one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the report.
For the past few months, the United States and several European Union nations are holding indirect talks in Vienna with Iran on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal in return for removing economic and other sanctions placed on the Islamic regime.