No region of the world produces more oil and gas than the countries straddling the Persian Gulf. Most of this energy can only be exported aboard tankers that cross the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway that’s effectively been closed for more than three months since the US and Israel launched strikes against Iran in late February.
Tankers anchored in the Strait of Hormuz on April 18.
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was limited to just a few ships over the past 24 hours as peace talks between the US and Iran show little sign of advancing.
A commercial vessel waits in the Gulf of Oman to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, on June 4.
Commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was limited to just a few ships over the past 24 hours as peace talks between the US and Iran show little sign of advancing.
A commercial vessel waits in the Gulf of Oman to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, on June 4.
OPEC crude output fell last month, hitting its lowest level in decades as the US blockade of Iran and disruption in the Persian Gulf continued to curb production.
An Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries oil drum.
The first oil supertanker in almost a month has been spotted moored at Iran’s main crude-export facility in the northern Persian Gulf, highlighting the largely effective nature of an American blockade on Tehran’s shipping.
An image from the European Union's Sentinel 1 satellite shows a very large crude carrier moored at Iran's Kharg Island oil terminal on June 2, 2026, the first in nearly a month.
The first oil supertanker in almost a month has been spotted moored at Iran’s main crude-export facility in the northern Persian Gulf, highlighting the largely effective nature of an American blockade on Tehran’s shipping.
An image from the European Union's Sentinel 1 satellite shows a very large crude carrier moored at Iran's Kharg Island oil terminal on June 2, 2026, the first in nearly a month.
No region of the world produces more oil and gas than the countries straddling the Persian Gulf. Most of this energy can only be exported aboard tankers that cross the Strait of Hormuz — a waterway that’s effectively been blocked for more than three months.
A satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz Photographer: Gallo Images/Orbital Horizon/Copernicus Sentinel Data 2025/Getty Images
Commercial vessel traffic through the crucial Strait of Hormuz appeared to remain limited over the past day, amid uncertainty over prospects for a US-Iran peace deal.
People walk on the shoreline in the Strait of Hormuz, where cargo and service vessels are anchored off Bandar Abbas, Iran, on June 1, 2026.
Roughly one-quarter of the non-Iranian large oil tankers trapped inside the Persian Gulf at the outbreak of the Iran war have managed to slip out in a slow, stealthy trickle.
Vessels anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, near Khasab, Oman, on May 17.
Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz dwindled to only a few mostly Iran-linked vessels crossing on Wednesday, underscoring the stop-start nature of traffic through the world’s most vital energy chokepoint.
A vessel is anchored off the coast of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on May 21.
Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz gained modest momentum over the past 24 hours as at least two non-Iranian supertankers exited the Persian Gulf, the latest mini-flurry in energy flows transiting the vital waterway.
Vessels off the coast of Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates on May 21. Source: AFP/Getty Images
A supertanker hauling Iraqi crude to China has left the Persian Gulf and crossed the US blockade line into the Arabian Sea, as talks continue to end the war between the US and Iran and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran on May 16. Photographer: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images Europe
The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed to commercial shipping, with maritime traffic reduced to a trickle and dominated by Iranian-linked vessels. There were few notable foreign-affiliated movements amid reports of Iran’s Bitcoin-backed insurance program for shipping companies willing to transit the waterway.
Ships anchored in the Strait of Hormuz near Larak Island, Iran on May 16.
Iran’s main oil export facility in the Persian Gulf stayed devoid of tankers for at least a 10th day, underscoring the growing strain on Tehran from a US naval blockade.
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