Shafaq News- Baghdad
Tankers carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi crude and4 million barrels of Saudi oil have transited the Strait of Hormuz bound forinternational markets, according to tracking platform TankerTrackers on Sunday.
Shipping activity in the waterway is also graduallyrecovering, with approximately 12 vessels transiting the Strait during thefirst two days of the US-Iran two-week truce.
The Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly 20% ofglobal oil supply, was effectively closed after US and Israeli strikes on Iranon February 28. Despite a previously granted exemption allowing Iraqi oiltankers to transit the Strait, Iraq’s oil sector saw a sharp downturn, withproduction falling from about 3.5 million barrels per day (bpd) to around 1.3million bpd, while exports declined to roughly 800,000 bpd.
On Saturday, US President Donald Trump revealed thestart of mine-clearing operations in the Strait, noting that the passage wasnot coordinated with Tehran. Iran rejected the claims, calling them“inaccurate,” further dismissing US allegations that it had laid mines in thestrategic waterway.