Energy Secretary Reports Record 17 Million Barrels Transited Hormuz Monday

Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC on Wednesday that more than 17 million barrels of oil transited the Strait of Hormuz by ship on Monday, marking a record since the Iran war began in late February.

Wright stated that oil exports from the region on Monday exceeded pre-war levels when Saudi Arabia's and the United Arab Emirate's pipelines that bypass Hormuz are included. He added that Iran is losing its ability to hold the world economic hostage as the U.S. military assists oil tankers in sailing through Hormuz. The U.S. military has established a shipping corridor along Oman's coast, which Gulf allies' tankers use, often at night with transponders turned off.

Iran has repeatedly attacked tankers using this U.S. protected route, demanding commercial ships take a northern corridor through its waters. At least two tankers came under attack in the strait this week, according to incident reports from the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre. Two tankers carrying Saudi oil were attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, with tracking firm Marisks describing these as near-simultaneous incidents that represent a further escalation in the threat environment within the Omani corridor.

The Trump administration previously claimed 9 million barrels of oil a day traversed the Strait of Hormuz, a figure initially derided by nonpartisan oil tanker trackers who estimated closer to 5 million to 7 million barrels. Wright maintains that the U.S. military and Department of Energy possess the most accurate data, as private companies often miss covert transits.