While mainstream Western shipping remains largely suspended through the Strait of Hormuz, recent 24-hour observations reveal a slight increase in Iran-linked traffic, specifically involving two sanctioned VLCCs.
Iran continued loading crude onto tankers at its Kharg Island oil terminal on Saturday, a week after the US and Israel launched air attacks against the Persian Gulf country. It’s unclear whether loading operations have continued, with no new satellite images since then.
Oil facilities on Kharg island, Iran. Photographer: Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto/Getty Images
Strait of Hormuz transit remains near a standstill for a seventh day, with Iran-linked ships the only commercial vessels making the crossing in the past 24 hours.
Satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz Photographer: Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Getty Images
Oil markets are set for yet more chaos on Monday as the war in Iran unleashes unprecedented disruption: major producers are curbing output as storage fills up and the most important waterway for global energy markets remains all but closed.
Men stand outside a storage facility of oil giant ADNOC in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, on January 17, 2022. - Three people were killed in a suspected drone attack that set off a blast and a fire in Abu Dhabi today, officials said, as Yemen's rebels announced military operations in the United Arab Emirates. Two Indians and a Pakistani died as three petrol tanks exploded near the storage facility of oil giant ADNOC, while a fire ignited in a construction area at Abu Dhabi airport. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
Oil markets are set for yet more chaos on Monday as the war in Iran unleashes unprecedented disruption: major producers are curbing output as storage fills up and the most important waterway for global energy markets remains all but closed.
Men stand outside a storage facility of oil giant ADNOC in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, on January 17, 2022. - Three people were killed in a suspected drone attack that set off a blast and a fire in Abu Dhabi today, officials said, as Yemen's rebels announced military operations in the United Arab Emirates. Two Indians and a Pakistani died as three petrol tanks exploded near the storage facility of oil giant ADNOC, while a fire ignited in a construction area at Abu Dhabi airport. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by -/AFP via Getty Images)
Strait of Hormuz transit remains near a standstill for a sixth day, with Iran-linked tankers the only large vessels making the crossing in the past 24 hours.
Cargo ships and tankers are seen off coast city of Fujairah, in the Strait of Hormuz in the northern Emirate on February 25, 2026. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP via Getty Images)
The tally of ships able to store oil from the big Middle East producers is dwindling fast, with just nine empty very large crude carriers visible in the Persian Gulf. Once those are loaded, onshore storage tanks will fill rapidly, leading to more production shut-ins.
There were only nine empty supertankers visible in the Persian Gulf on March 6, 2026.
Indian refiners are snapping up Moscow’s barrels after Middle East flows have bottled up in Persian Gulf.
A Bharat Petroleum Corp. oil refinery in Mumbai, India, on Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Oil extended gains as fresh attacks flared in the Middle East and traders weighed a US plan to insure and escort tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz, with traffic in the vital waterway all but halted. Photographer: Abeer Khan/Bloomberg
Iran continued loading crude onto tankers at its Kharg Island oil terminal on Monday, two days after the US and Israel launched air attacks against the Persian Gulf country. It’s unclear whether loading operations have continued as the conflict has intensified, with no new satellite images since then.
Oil loading operations continued at Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal on March 2, 2026, two days after the US and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury.
Three ships were attacked near the mouth of the Persian Gulf, amid signs that tanker traffic through the vital Strait of Hormuz oil-and-gas chokepoint is halting because of conflict in the region.
STRAIT OF HORMUZ - 2 OCTOBER 2024: Satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy supply, connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman. This vital maritime route facilitates the transportation of goods, including oil and natural gas, between the Middle East and the rest of the world. (Photo by Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025) Photographer: Gallo Images/Gallo Images Editorial
President Donald Trump’s decision to strike Iran creates new risks for a significant chunk of the world’s oil supply.
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 28: (----EDITORIAL USE ONLY - MANDATORY CREDIT - ‘US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP VIA TRUTH SOCIAL / HANDOUT' - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS----) A screen grab from a video released on U.S. President Donald Trump’s Truth Social account shows Donald Trump making statements regarding combat operations on Iran on February 28, 2026 in Pal Beach, Florida, United States. (Photo by US President Trump Via Truth Social/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Saudi Arabia and Iran are both accelerating oil exports, adding barrels to global markets at a time when the US is deploying military assets in the Middle East, creating uncertainty about future supply.
Oil tankers around Iran’s Kharg Island oil terminal on Feb. 20, 2026. Tankers circled in bold were unmoved from Feb. 15. Tankers with a cross through have departed since Feb. 15.
Saudi Arabia is on course to ship the most oil from its ports in almost three years this month, bringing supply to the global market at a time when crude traders are monitoring US-Iran tensions.
Processing facilities in the Khurais oil field in Khurais, Saudi Arabia.
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