Iran has been exporting more oil through the Strait of Hormuz over the past week than it was before the US and Israel launched the war against the Islamic Republic on February 28, The Wall Street Journal has reported.
The report cited data from Kpler, a tanker-tracking firm, which found that since February 28, seven tankers have been loaded off the coast of Iran, and at least two have already left the Persian Gulf. Kpler’s data show that over the past six days, tankers have loaded an average of 2.1 million barrels of Iranian oil per day, higher than the 2 million barrels a day Iran exported in February.
The report comes as President Trump has been issuing repeated threats against Iran over the Strait of Hormuz as his administration is scrambling to deal with the impact his war is having on the global oil market. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has maintained that the strait is only open to ships that have its permission to cross, which includes Chinese vessels, as China is a major buyer of Iranian oil.
“The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed until further notice,” Brig. Gen. Ibrahim Jabari, a senior advisor to the commander of the IRGC, said earlier this week. “Passage occurs only with our permission. Allied ships, such as those from Russia, China, and select partner nations, may transit. Enemy-associated vessels are not allowed to pass, and not a single drop of oil or cubic metre of gas will be permitted through this corridor.”
On Wednesday, three vessels off the coast of Iran were reportedly struck by projectiles, as the IRGC has warned that any ship attempting to cross the strait without permission will be hit. Photos show that a Thai bulk carrier, the Mayuree Naree, was among the vessels struck.
According to the Royal Thai Navy, the Mayuree Naree was hit while transiting the Strait of Hormuz after leaving the Khalifa Port in the UAE. It said at least 20 crew members from the ship had been rescued so far.
President Trump had previously suggested that the US Navy could escort tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, but Iran warned it would hit the US vessels. According to a report from Reuters, the US Navy has told the shipping industry that escorts are not available at the moment.
