Forty oil tankers carrying a combined 16 million barrels of crude passed through the Strait of Hormuz in a single night, according to a report from سكاي نيوز عربية.
The report, published on Saturday, did not specify the exact date of the crossing or the destinations of the cargoes. The figure highlights the continued flow of oil through the strategic waterway, which connects the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and is a critical chokepoint for global energy supplies.
The transit comes amid heightened tensions in the region. A separate report from CNN Arabic described what it called a "dark crossing," referring to how the United States has sought to circumvent Iranian oil leverage in the strait. Meanwhile, the Iranian secretary of the Supreme National Security Council was quoted by بوابة الأهرام as saying that not a single drop of oil would leave the Strait of Hormuz if neighboring countries participate in an economic war against Iran.
Despite such threats, the large volume of tanker traffic suggests that shipping through the strait continues at a significant pace. However, a British body cited by بوابة الشروق reported that vessel movement in the strait has fallen to just 4 percent of pre-war levels. That figure appears to contrast sharply with the single-night tanker count reported by سكاي نيوز عربية, though the two reports may be measuring different time frames or vessel categories.
The conflicting data points underscore the difficulty of assessing the true state of shipping in the region. Washington, for its part, said more than 15 million barrels crossed the strait on the Tuesday prior to the reports, according to اليوم السابع.
Observers will be watching whether the pace of tanker transits holds steady or declines in the coming weeks as diplomatic and military pressures evolve.
