Middle East Oil Exports Rebound Despite Continued Strait of Hormuz Disruptions

Middle East oil exports have recovered to near pre-war levels as exporters adapt to ongoing transit restrictions, according to Oilprice. Exporters have rerouted crude supplies using pipelines, bypass ports, and ship-to-ship transfers to maintain global flows. [1]

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has been largely blocked by Iran since 28 February 2026, following the launch of an air war against Iran by the United States and Israel. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps subsequently issued passage bans, attacked merchant vessels, and laid sea mines in the critical maritime choke point. [2]

Prior to the conflict, approximately 25 percent of the world seaborne oil trade and 20 percent of global liquefied natural gas passed through the strait. The United States also maintained a blockade on Iranian ports from 13 April to 29 May 2026. [2]

Although export volumes have staged a significant recovery, Oilprice reported that Standard Chartered considers the current logistical system far from normal. The alternative export arrangements remain increasingly stretched, inefficient, and burdened by elevated security and freight costs. [1]