The amount of oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz is now approaching the levels seen at the outset of the conflict with Iran.
President Donald Trump revealed that 18 million barrels of oil — roughly 90 percent the daily average before the war — is now passing through the waterway, according to a Sept. 3 report from The Center Square.
Just a few days before the announcement, the United States carried out retaliatory strikes after Iran tried attacking American military bases and commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
As noted by journalist Eric Daugherty, CNN was “forced to report” on the news.
🚨 BREAKING OVERNIGHT: CNN has been forced to report the stunning reality, the US military escorted 40 ships carrying 18 MILLION barrels of oil through Hormuz
90% of PRE-WAR flows 🔥
This is amazing news.
Now imagine once the bypass PIPELINES ramp up and Iran is even weaker… pic.twitter.com/TpUcAyfeCO
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 3, 2026
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said that 17 million barrels of oil moved through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday of last week, marking a new record since February.
Iran is no longer able to “hold” the world economy “hostage” as easily, Wright told CNBC.
U.S. military assets are helping oil tankers traverse the waterway.
“With or without Iran, oil and gas will flow out of the Arabian Gulf region and it’s happening,” Wright added.
The United States has established a shipping corridor along the coast of Oman, with the passage largely benefiting Gulf allies.
The ships often move at night and turn off their transponders to decrease the odds of an attack.
But even with the precautions, two tankers came under attack this week, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre.
“The US military escorted 40 commercial vessels carrying 18 million barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz… Prior to the launch of the war just over six months ago, roughly 20 million barrels a day were passing through the strait.”https://t.co/nNaKt9GhC4
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 3, 2026
Trump pointed to the rise in successful oil shipments as an indication that Iran is losing the war.
“Iran is officially a failed nation. It is dead,” Trump declared on Truth Social last week, per a report from Fox News.
“They have no Navy, they have no Air Force, they have no currency, they are not paying their soldiers or police.”
Trump noted that inflation in Iran has reached 300 percent, meaning that Iranian leaders are “in total disarray and incapable of properly representing the country.”
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