Iran's oil ministry claimed on Saturday that it generated $18 billion from crude sales during hostilities and a subsequent truce with the United States. The ministry stated it moved $11.5 billion worth of oil while fighting raged, then sold another $6.5 billion after the ceasefire took effect, according to a statement posted on its official website.
The revenue represented over 60 percent of the oil earnings the country had projected for its annual budget despite the turmoil, the ministry added.
The claim contradicts what parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, also Iran's chief negotiator, said in late June. He'd insisted then that Iran couldn't export any oil because of an American naval blockade around its ports.
Israeli and US strikes ignited the conflict on February 28, triggering Iranian retaliation against American-aligned nations across the Middle East. An April truce halted most fighting, but tensions flared again in early July as both sides jostled for leverage over the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
