Despite war and sanctions, Iran’s oil exports surge

Excerpt

“Maximum pressure” ought to mean “maximum pressure.” Yet despite sanctions and war, the Islamic Republic of Iran’s oil exports continued to surge in the first six months of 2025.

No doubt, U.S. economic penalties and Israeli strikes severely dented Tehran’s missile, military, and nuclear capabilities. But if Washington is serious about dismantling Iran’s nuclear weapons program and rolling back the spectrum of threats the regime poses according to President Trump’s national security memorandum, more will be needed, and quickly.

According to data available for purchase from Tankertrackers, Iran exported nearly 1.7 million barrels per day in June 2025 of crude oil, condensates, and fuel oil, resulting in a total of more than 50 million barrels worth an estimated $3.6 billion. These revenues will be used to fund oppression at home and aggression abroad, as well as to rebuild Iran’s shattered air defenses, missile capacity, and terror networks.

Saeed Ghasseminejad is a senior advisor on Iran and financial economics at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in Washington DC, where Behnam Ben Taleblu is the senior director of the Iran program.