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Quarter of Trapped Supertankers Escape Persian Gulf as Iran Conflict Persists

Twenty-nine of 109 large crude carriers stranded in the Persian Gulf have transited the Strait of Hormuz since fighting erupted on February 28, shipping data shows. The supertankers, each capable of carrying 700,000 barrels or more, escaped through the strategic chokepoint in a gradual exodus following the outbreak of the Iran war. The Strait of Hormuz effectively closed after the conflict began, trapping the remaining vessels inside the Gulf. The slow movement of trapped tonnage underscores severe disruption to maritime transit in one of the world's most important shipping lanes. The escape of roughly one-quarter of the stranded fleet signals cautious resumption of limited passage, though 80 supertankers remain bottled up in the region.