Gulf oil exports return to pre-war levels — around 40% now bypass Hormuz

Crude oil exports from Persian Gulf producers, excluding Iran, have returned to pre-war levels seven months after the start of attacks on Iranian infrastructure, but around 40 percent of them now bypass the Strait of Hormuz via the Sumed pipeline and Saudi terminals in the Red Sea, according to data from the company Kpler.

The recovery in traffic could weaken Tehran’s negotiating position, Al Jazeera notes, at a time when Iran and the United States are working with mediators to end seven months of fighting. Iranian leaders are currently considering the American response to Tehran’s seven-day plan to end the conflict.

The development comes as traffic through Hormuz has risen steadily in recent weeks — a sign that the oil market is adapting to the new reality of the war, even though Iran continues to strike small vessels in the strait almost every day, as IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebbi acknowledged in an interview with the Fars agency.