Iranian oil flows through Strait of Hormuz even as Gulf neighbors' exports shut

Iranian crude oil has continued to flow through the Strait of Hormuz at a near-normal pace even as Tehran-linked attacks on ships in the narrow waterway have decimated exports from other Gulf countries, a Reuters review of tanker tracking data showed.



Iran has exported about 13.7 million barrels of crude oil since Israel and the U.S. launched attacks on the country on February 28, according to analysis from TankerTrackers.com, a maritime intelligence company that specializes in tracking the so-called shadow fleet, a network of vessels used to transport oil and gas from countries under Western sanctions.



Vessel tracking service Kpler pegged Iranian exports in the first 11 days of March even higher at about 16.5 million barrels.



Iran's retaliation to the Israeli and U.S. attacks has included strikes on ships in the Strait of Hormuz and energy infrastructure across the Middle East, bringing non-Iranian vessel transits through the main gateway for much of Middle Eastern oil exports to a near standstill and forcing producers in the region to cut output.