About 90 vessels, including oil tankers, have transited the Strait of Hormuz since the outbreak of the war, and Iran continues to export millions of barrels of oil even as the waterway has been effectively shut, maritime and trade platforms report.
Many of these passages were “dark” transits—movements designed to evade Western sanctions and oversight and likely linked to Iran—according to Lloyd’s List Intelligence. More recently, ships with ties to India and Pakistan have also been able to pass as governments engaged in negotiations.
With crude surging above USD 100 a barrel, US President Donald Trump pushed allies and trade partners to deploy warships and reopen the strait to try to bring prices down. Most commercial traffic through the Strait of Hormuz—a critical chokepoint that carries roughly one-fifth of the world’s crude—has been halted since early March after about 20 vessels were attacked in the area.
Despite that, Iran has managed to export upward of 16 million barrels since the start of March, Kpler estimated, with China the largest buyer amid Western sanctions and associated risks. “Continued resilience” in Iran’s export volumes was noted by Kpler trade risk analyst Ana Subasic. Kun Cao of consulting firm Reddal said Iran has both profited from sales and “preserved its own export artery” by exercising control over the chokepoint.
Maritime traffic figures align with Iran’s export estimates. Lloyd’s List Intelligence said at least 89 ships crossed the strait between March 1 and 15, including 16 oil tankers—down from roughly 100–135 daily passages before the war. More than one-fifth of those 89 vessels were believed to be Iran-affiliated; others were linked to China, Greece and elsewhere.
Some specific movements include the Pakistan-flagged crude tanker Karachi, controlled by Pakistan National Shipping Corp., which passed through the strait; the Pakistan Port Trust declined to confirm the route but said the ship would soon reach Pakistan. Two India-flagged LPG carriers, Shivalik and Nanda Devi—owned by state-run Shipping Corp. of India—also transited around March 13–14. LPG is a primary cooking fuel for millions in India. India’s foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told the Financial Times the vessels were allowed to pass after talks with Iran. Iraq, too, was reported to be negotiating transit for its tankers.
Lloyd’s List editor-in-chief Richard Meade said some transits likely involved “at least some level of diplomatic intervention,” suggesting Iran may have “effectively created a safe corridor” with ships passing close to its coast. Earlier MarineTraffic analysis found some vessels declaring China links or all-Chinese crews to reduce attack risk, leveraging China’s closer ties with Iran.
Oil prices have risen more than 40% since the conflict began, and Iran has warned it will block oil bound for the US, Israel and their allies. To help stabilise markets, US officials said they were allowing Iranian tankers to cross the strait. “The Iranian ships have been getting out already, and we’ve let that happen to supply the rest of the world,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview with CNBC.
The US also bombed military sites on Kharg Island—key to Iran’s oil network—though President Trump said he had for now spared Iran’s oil infrastructure. The recent crossings illustrate that the strait is not simply closed, Cao said; rather, it is selectively closed to some traffic while still functioning for Iranian exports and a narrow set of tolerated non-Iranian movements. ING strategists Warren Patterson and Ewa Manthey added that if Iran aims to inflict pain through higher energy prices, it may severely limit the number of tankers allowed through the strait.
