The Trump administration stated Wednesday that oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz have rebounded to nearly pre-war levels, citing a seven-day average of nearly 9 million barrels a day leaving the strait, alongside 5 to 7 million barrels moving daily through bypass pipelines. The U.S. military also reported escorting about 40 commercial vessels carrying roughly 18 million barrels of oil through the waterway.
However, independent tracking firms and news organizations disputed the claim, stating that visible commercial traffic through the strait remains only a fraction of pre-war volumes. Analysts noted that the reported recovery partly reflects oil rerouted through overland pipelines rather than normalized tanker traffic, while shipping companies reported an increase in vessels turning off tracking transponders to avoid becoming targets.
Following the announcement, oil prices eased with Brent crude slipping toward $95 a barrel and U.S. crude falling below $91, though Gulf stock markets closed lower. President Trump reiterated his claim that the U.S. controls the strait outright and suggested renaming it “Trump Strait” on social media.