A huge achievement for the US: Even monitoring companies admit that oil exports from the Strait of Hormuz are surging

Seven months after Iran disrupted the Strait of Hormuz, oil traffic through the strategic passage has returned to nearly 80% of pre-war levels. Maritime monitoring companies, which previously contradicted US government data, are now publishing similar figures. The reopening weakens Iran's position, but oil prices remain high.

Seven months after Iran disrupted the Strait of Hormuz and shook the global energy market, oil traffic through the strategic maritime passage has returned to nearly 80% of the volume that passed through it before the war. According to data from the maritime monitoring company Kpler, last week an average of 13.1 million barrels per day passed through the strait – 77% of the volume that stood at 17.1 million barrels before the war. JPMorgan estimates that the amount of oil leaving the Middle East stands at 98% compared to before the war. The reopening comes following an ongoing US military operation involving convoys of ships escorted by the US Navy and covert crossings. The monitoring companies, which previously contradicted the US administration's claims, are now publishing similar data. The achievement significantly weakens Iran's bargaining power. However, oil prices remain high at around one hundred dollars per barrel – an increase of more than 35% compared to the pre-war price. Meanwhile, dozens of Iranian tankers are stranded at sea off the coasts of Sri Lanka and Malaysia, after ports in the region refused to provide them with services for fear of US sanctions.