Hormuz Traffic Flows Both Ways as Supertankers Resume Normal Operations

A recent satellite imagery analysis by TankerTrackers confirms that supertankers are now flowing both ways through the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the conflict began on February 28, 2026. The bi-directional daytime traffic of Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) supertankers signals a meaningful recovery in energy flows.

The analysis also reveals that greater volumes of crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) are being exchanged through ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman. This growth in STS activity reflects both the increasing volume of energy trade finding routes around or through the Hormuz bottleneck and the continued use of at-sea transfer as a risk management tool by operators navigating the contested waterway environment.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent confirmed that $140 billion in oil has moved safely through Hormuz in two weeks of consecutive operations, and Bloomberg reported that oil flows through the strait have recovered to approximately two-thirds of pre-war levels. The return of VLCCs to daytime bi-directional transit signals that commercial operators now judge the risk of transiting the strait to be sufficiently managed to resume normal operations.