Gulf oil flows surpass pre-conflict levels
Shafaq News- Washington
About 20 million barrels of oil left the Gulf on Aug. 9, exceeding average flows recorded before the conflict, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Tuesday.
Shipments through the Strait of Hormuz reached an average of nine million barrels per day (bpd) over the past week, Wright noted, attributing the level to coordinated efforts by the US military and its allies. Another five to seven million bpd moved through pipelines and upgraded export facilities, bringing combined average regional flows to around 15 million bpd.
Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the U.S. military and our gulf allies, the seven-day average for oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz is currently up to almost 9 million barrels per day.When combined with the additional 5-7 million barrels per day leaving the region via newly…
— Secretary Chris Wright (@SecretaryWright) August 11, 2026
Earlier today, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei maintained that fully reopening Hormuz depends on Washington meeting Tehran’s conditions, including ending the wider regional conflict and releasing frozen Iranian funds. A separate arrangement with Oman, he noted, could regulate transit without settling the broader dispute.
US President Donald Trump declared on Monday that the US Navy had cleared mines from the Strait and gained “100%” control of the waterway. “It's open now,” he told reporters at the White House, acknowledging that mines were still occasionally being laid but detected by US forces.
As of Aug. 9, US Central Command (CENTCOM) had redirected 55 commercial vessels, disabled two, and boarded two others while enforcing Washington’s naval blockade against Iran.
A US-Iran-Oman arrangement governing commercial navigation through the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved. Tehran’s demands also include lifting the blockade and sanctions, withdrawing US forces from around Iran, ending military operations against Tehran and its allies, and compensation for war damage.
