Tanker Data Contradicts U.S. Claim That Middle East Oil Flows Have Normalized

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U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright claimed that oil flows from the Middle East have normalized, citing increased traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. However, recent tanker ship-tracking data contradicts this claim, suggesting that flows may not have fully returned to pre-conflict levels.

Oil flows from the Middle East have normalized, with Sunday traffic alone above pre-conflict averages, U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said on Tuesday in a claim that appears not to be backed by ship-tracking data. On Tuesday, Secretary Wright posted on X that “Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the U.S. military and our gulf allies, the seven-day average for oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz is currently up to almost 9 million barrels per day.” He went on to add that “When combined with the additional 5-7 million barrels…