Approximately 4 million barrels of Iranian crude oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz in a single day despite a US naval blockade, highlighting persistent uncertainty in Middle East energy supply chains.
Reuters reported on the 27th, citing satellite analysis, that several tankers carrying about 4 million barrels of Iranian crude transited the Strait of Hormuz on the 24th (local time).
According to satellite analysis site TankerTrackers.com, the volume was distributed across multiple tankers. However, six tankers failed to exit the strait in recent days and returned to Iranian ports, carrying a combined 10.5 million barrels of crude oil.
The Strait of Hormuz is currently under what amounts to a blockade. Iran moved to control the strait immediately after the war broke out on February 28, and the United States responded by launching a naval blockade on the 13th. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on the 25th that it had rerouted 37 vessels to alternative sea lanes since the blockade began.
Nevertheless, some vessels are still attempting to transit the strait. According to ship tracking firm Kpler and satellite analysis company SynMax, at least seven vessels, mostly bulk carriers, passed through the strait during the same period. Some departed from Iraqi ports, while one sailed from an Iranian port.
Traffic, however, remains sharply reduced from pre-war levels. Before the war, an average of about 140 vessels used the Strait of Hormuz each day, compared with only limited movement by a handful of ships now.
