Iran has significantly ramped up its open crude oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, reaching the highest levels since the war began, as shipping activity increases amid ongoing peace negotiations between Tehran and Washington. This surge in traffic also includes refined products from Kuwait, which is asking customers to pick up naphtha directly from its ports.
Approximately 6 million barrels of Iranian crude are currently being transported on three US-sanctioned supertankers — the Elva, Virgo, and Vigor. These vessels entered the Strait of Hormuz early Monday and are indicating their destination as waters off Singapore, a common transshipment point for Iranian crude destined for China. This increase follows the recent lifting of a US blockade on Iranian ports, enabling the quick resumption of crude production and loadings from Iran's main oil-export terminal, Kharg Island.
The overall traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for about a fifth of the world's crude and liquefied natural gas before the war, is generally picking up. Other vessels, including a Greek-flagged tanker carrying Iraqi crude and four Qatari-linked empty liquefied natural gas tankers, have also been observed transiting the strait. This increased activity signals a potential reopening of the waterway, with Kuwait's tender for refined petroleum pickup adding to the evidence of returning normalcy.
