WASHINGTON — Aug. 12, 2026: Oil supplies from the Gulf region have exceeded average levels recorded before the Iran-US conflict despite continuing tensions between Washington and Tehran, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said.
Wright said nearly 20 million barrels of oil were exported from the Gulf on Aug. 9, while an average of about 9 million barrels a day was transported through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz over the past week, according to Shafaq News.
He attributed the continued flow of oil through the waterway to coordinated efforts by the US military and its allies.
An additional 5 million to 7 million barrels a day, Wright said, have been transported through pipelines and other advanced export infrastructure, bringing total regional oil shipments to an average of roughly 15 million barrels per day.
Iran demands conditions for full reopening of Hormuz
Despite the continued movement of oil, Iran and the United States have yet to reach an agreement on fully reopening the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil transit routes.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Secretary Mohsen Rezaei said the waterway would not be fully reopened until Washington met Tehran’s conditions.
Those demands include an end to regional hostilities and the release of Iranian funds seized or frozen by the United States, according to Iranian officials.
The dispute has kept uncertainty high around commercial shipping through the strait, through which a significant share of global oil supplies normally passes.
Trump claims US has full control of the strait
Earlier, US President Donald Trump said the US Navy had cleared mines from the Strait of Hormuz and claimed that the United States now had “100%” control of the waterway.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) has also been enforcing a naval blockade against Iran.
As of Aug. 9, CENTCOM had diverted 55 commercial vessels, while two vessels were disabled and two others were searched, according to the report.
The US, Iran and Oman are meanwhile attempting to reach an understanding over the movement of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
However, major differences remain between Washington and Tehran.
Iran has demanded the lifting of blockades and sanctions, the withdrawal of US forces from areas surrounding Iran, an end to military operations and compensation for damages caused by the conflict.
No agreement has yet been reached on those issues, leaving the future of commercial shipping through the strategic waterway uncertain.
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