Topic
oil flows
Commodities IEA warns global energy security at risk if Strait of Hormuz oil flows are not restored
IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol warned on July 17, 2026, that global energy security is at risk if oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz are not restored in the next few weeks. The waterway has been mostly blocked since the conflict began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran. Birol highlighted that China's stockpile of over 1 billion barrels and an IEA-coordinated release of up to 400 million barrels have moderated price rises, but these measures cannot last indefinitely.
Logistics VLCC market adapts as Hormuz closure reshapes global crude flows: Splash247 analysis
The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz in Q2 2026 forced VLCC charterers, owners, and traders to reroute crude flows, with the Gulf of Oman emerging as the new Middle Eastern baseline. The Baltic Exchange introduced a new benchmark route, TD34, while freight rates on key lanes fluctuated. The Atlantic Basin gained strategic importance as Brazil drove activity.
Commodities Strait of Hormuz oil flows may recover to only 70% after war: Goldman Sachs
Goldman Sachs analysts predict that oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz may recover to only about 70% of pre-war levels, even after the US-Iran deal reopens the waterway. Regional producers like Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Iraq have increased reliance on alternative pipelines, and the UAE is pursuing a plan to eliminate Hormuz dependency entirely.