Oil shipments through Hormuz dip but Saudi exports rebound amid regional conflict
Traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to a trickle, yet Saudi oil exports have surged after pipeline attacks, according to satellite and analytics data.
Visible vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz have dwindled to a minimal flow, far below the pre-conflict average of roughly 125 large ships per day. On Sunday, analytics firm Kpler tracked four tankers carrying refined products and two empty bulk carriers leaving the strait, while two small oil tankers entered the Gulf. The slowdown follows the US-Israeli war with Iran that began on Feb 28, which disrupted normal shipping patterns.
In response to Houthi attacks on Saudi Aramco’s East-West pipeline, the state energy firm redirected crude through Hormuz, boosting exports to more than 4 million barrels per day in September after a dip to 2.4 million bpd in August. Kpler data for the week of Sept 13 shows 13 tankers, mainly VLCCs, moving 34 million barrels, with Saudi Arabia supplying half of that volume and Iraq 35%. JPMorgan analysts note that overall Middle East oil flows remain robust, averaging 17.1 million bpd over the past ten days, only 6.1 million bpd below the 2025 average.
Why it matters
Oil flow changes affect global energy prices and highlight how regional conflicts reshape supply routes.
How the sides frame it
MODERATE AGREEMENTBoth camps note a sharp drop in Hormuz traffic amid the regional conflict, but left-leaning coverage stresses the near-halt of ship movements and the use of tankers with turned-off transponders, while centrist coverage highlights Saudi Arabia’s export rebound after rerouting crude due to Houthi attacks.
LEFT
Frames the story as a dramatic collapse of Hormuz traffic, underscoring how producers resort to stealthy tankers with disabled transponders.
CENTER
Frames the story as a dip in traffic that is offset by Saudi Arabia’s strategic shift to boost exports through Hormuz after pipeline attacks.
The left emphasises
- Schiffsverkehr durch die Straße von Hormus... stark zurückgegangen
- kommt praktisch zum Erliegen
- Produzenten exportieren weiterhin Öl auf Tankern, die mit ausgeschalteten Transpondern fahren
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