Hormuz Crude Transit Halts — Zero Tanker Voyages as Iran Controls the Chokepoint

The Strait of Hormuz — through which approximately 21 million barrels of crude per day normally flow — has seen zero crude tanker transits in the past 24 hours as of Day 21. Iranian naval and anti-ship missile assets at Bandar Abbas and Jask have effectively deterred commercial operators from risking passage without guaranteed CENTCOM escort. Two Indian-flagged LNG tankers are anchored in Gulf waters preparing to test the corridor. The halt has driven Brent crude to 45/bbl, prompted the US Federal Reserve to shelve rate cuts, and triggered emergency policy discussions in Washington about removing sanctions on Iranian oil to ease the supply shock. US Energy Secretary Wright said unsanctioning stranded Iranian oil could get supply to Asian ports within 3-4 days. The Hormuz closure is now the war's primary economic weapon.

Key facts

• •Zero crude oil tanker voyages through Hormuz in past 24 hours — de facto crude halt (Kpler data)
• •Two Indian LNG tankers anchored in Gulf, preparing to test Hormuz transit in coming days
• •Hormuz normally carries ~21M bbl/day — roughly 20% of global oil supply
• •Fed Governor Waller reversed rate-cut stance due to Iran war: "oil prices are going to stay high for a longer time"
• •Energy Sec. Wright: removing Iran oil sanctions would get supply to Asian ports within 3-4 days
• •Iranian anti-ship batteries at Bandar Abbas (IRGCN HQ) and Jask cover both approaches to the strait