US Energy Secretary Wright defends claims about oil traffic through Strait of Hormuz
In the United States, Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that President Donald Trump’s administration has data on the volumes of oil passing through the Strait of Hormuz, despite discrepancies with figures from shipping monitoring services. He said this on Fox News, reports The National.
Claims about transportation volumes
According to Wright, the average volume of oil passing along the southern route of the waterway was 9 million barrels per day. He also reported up to another 5 million barrels per day transported by pipelines. At the beginning of last week, just under 18 million barrels of oil passed through the strait, the official added.
Wright dismissed doubts about these figures. He said commercial organizations may not have access to all data on the situation in the strait and stressed that the US Navy ensures the passage of this flow.
Monitoring data and blockade
At the same time, shipping data do not match the US administration’s assessment. According to Kpler, four vessels crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday. The International Monetary Fund’s PortWatch monitoring system recorded a seven-day rolling average of four crossings in the week ending August 30.
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Traffic in the strait declined significantly after coordinated US and Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28, the publication notes. Before the war began, 20% of global energy supplies passed through this waterway. According to The National, Iran responded by attacking key energy facilities in the Persian Gulf and vessels in the strait.
The United States imposed a naval blockade to stop Iranian oil from being exported from the region. US Central Command said American forces redirected 92 commercial vessels, disabled three, and boarded two as part of enforcing the blockade. Wright said its purpose is both to stop the flow of Iranian oil and to ensure vessel traffic through the strait.
Sanctions measures
On Friday, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on a Turkish investment bank and two of its subsidiaries over ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. According to the publication, the United States also expects restrictions to be imposed on another bank linked to Iran this week.
