At least a dozen commercial vessels have transited the contested Strait of Hormuz since late February 2026, navigating a live war zone to deliver crude oil and liquefied natural gas to global markets, according to data from maritime specialists. The voyages by Greek and Chinese-operated tankers occur amid a joint U.S.-Israeli military campaign against Iran, a conflict that has effectively sealed off approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil supply and triggered what the International Energy Agency has called the largest disruption to crude supplies in the history of the global oil market [4].
Shipowners are accepting extraordinary risks for substantial financial rewards as oil prices and tanker charter rates have surged following the outbreak of hostilities on February 28. The strategic waterway, a narrow chokepoint between Iran and Oman, handles about 20% of global oil trade annually, worth an estimated $600 billion [2]. Despite Iran’s military vowing to keep the strait closed and warning that oil could reach $200 per barrel, a handful of vessels continue to run the blockade, lured by profits that can reach millions of dollars per voyage.
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