Tehran claims oil tanker bypassed US naval blockade amid rising tensions, mixed signals on talks

Security personnel guide commuters towards alternate routes from a checkpoint near the Serena Hotel at the Red Zone area in Islamabad, amid heightened security measures ahead of US-Iran peace talks. PIC/AFP

An Iranian supertanker has successfully bypassed a US naval blockade returning to Iranian waters after delivering 2 million barrels of crude oil via the Riau Archipelago, reports Fars News.

The vessel had departed Iran in March to Indonesia and was making its return admist the US imposed Naval blockade. In a defiant move against Western maritime restrictions, Iranian media reporting has characterised the mission as a significant breakthrough, stating that "Another Iranian Tanker Breaches the US Siege."

Meanwhile, a senior Pakistani source said delegations from the US and Iran were expected to arrive in the Pakistani capital simultaneously on Tuesday, signalling a potential breakthrough in regional diplomacy.

However, Iranian state television issued an on-screen alert saying "no delegation from Iran has visited Islamabad ... so far". The ceasefire between the US and Iran, which is set to expire today, is expected to be extended beyond the initial two-week period.

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