Washington, September 27: US President Donald Trump has claimed that a record volume of oil was transported through the Strait of Hormuz overnight, saying the amount exceeded levels recorded before the ongoing conflict with Iran.
“Last night, we took a record amount of oil out from the Hormuz Strait, more than we took out before the war,” Trump said while discussing the situation involving Iran and the strategically important waterway.
Trump has repeatedly highlighted oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz as evidence that the United States is maintaining access to the vital shipping route despite the conflict. On Saturday, he said that 29 ships had passed through the strait and claimed that “massive amounts of oil” were moving through the waterway. Fox News
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's most important energy corridors, connecting the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the wider Arabian Sea. Under normal conditions, a significant share of global oil supplies passes through the waterway.
However, shipping through the strait has been heavily disrupted during the US-Iran conflict. Reuters reported on September 21 that only 17 commodity vessels crossed the waterway over one weekend, compared with 37 the previous week and a pre-war average of about 125 vessels per day. Reuters
Oil flows have nevertheless continued through alternative arrangements and selected tanker movements. Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia increased exports through the Strait of Hormuz after an attack disrupted its East-West Pipeline. Saudi crude flows through the strait averaged about 2.9 million barrels per day over a six-day period, compared with about 700,000 barrels per day in August. Reuters
The scale of oil moving through the waterway has been the subject of differing figures. Earlier this month, the Washington Post reported that Trump administration officials had cited wartime highs ranging from roughly 15 million to more than 17 million barrels in a 24-hour period. Commercial shipping trackers have questioned some of the higher figures and noted that daily volumes can fluctuate substantially. The Washington Post
Trump's latest statement comes as Washington and Tehran remain at odds over the future of the waterway. Iran recently proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz within seven days as part of a broader proposal involving the resumption of talks and other conditions.
Trump rejected the proposal on September 26, saying the terms were not acceptable. The Washington Post reported that Iran's proposal involved reopening the strait and restarting peace talks, while Tehran sought measures including the lifting of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports. The Washington Post
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on September 27 that Tehran was still waiting for an official response from Washington regarding its proposal. Al Jazeera
The dispute over the Strait of Hormuz has significant implications for global energy markets. Disruptions to tanker traffic can affect crude supplies, shipping costs and fuel prices in countries that rely on imports from the Gulf.
Recent developments have also prompted Gulf producers to seek alternative methods of moving crude. Reuters reported that producers have increasingly used ship-to-ship transfers near Oman to maintain exports amid disruptions to traditional routes. Reuters
Trump's claim of a record oil movement through the strait therefore comes against a backdrop of sharply reduced commercial traffic, continuing military tensions and efforts by regional producers to maintain energy exports.
The exact volume referred to by Trump was not specified in his statement. Available reporting also shows that estimates of oil and vessel movements through the waterway vary depending on the period measured and the tracking methodology used.
The Strait of Hormuz remains at the centre of the wider economic and geopolitical impact of the US-Iran conflict, with governments, energy companies and shipping operators closely monitoring the movement of tankers through the strategic waterway.
As negotiations remain uncertain, the level of oil and commercial shipping traffic through the strait is likely to remain an important indicator of conditions in the regional energy market.
This version keeps Trump’s claim clearly attributed and separates it from independently reported shipping and oil-flow data.
