Hormuz still closed despite truce, 230 oil tankers stranded, says UAE energy chief

The chief executive of Abu Dhabi’s state‑owned oil giant has declared that the Strait of Hormuz is still not functioning normally, even after the temporary ceasefire between Washington and Tehran. Sultan Al Jaber, head of ADNOC, said in a LinkedIn post that Iranian restrictions continue to choke energy exports, with approximately 230 fully loaded oil tankers queued up and unable to transit the strategic waterway. “Conditional passage is not passage,” Al Jaber stressed, urging that the strait must be reopened “fully, unconditionally and without restriction.”

Market reality and supply gap

Al Jaber warned that global energy markets are now at a “critical crossroads.” The last cargoes that managed to slip through the strait before the conflict are just arriving at their destinations, and the 40‑day gap in global oil flows is about to be exposed in physical markets. ADNOC has already loaded its own cargoes, but they remain stuck, he added. The company will expand production as much as war‑related damage to its infrastructure and staff safety allow, but the bottleneck is on the water, not at the wellhead.

Iran’s conditional corridor and shipping caution

Iran has announced alternative entry and exit routes for ships transiting the strait, saying the measures are designed to reduce the risk of collisions with possible sea mines in the main shipping lane. Iranian officials have urged vessels to use designated corridors for maritime safety. However, shipping firms remain deeply cautious despite the two‑week truce announced earlier this week. Before the conflict, the Strait of Hormuz handled about one‑fifth of global oil and LNG shipments. For energy‑importing nations, especially in Asia, any prolonged disruption remains a major threat to supply security and economic stability.

Türkiye’s strategic position

While the Gulf remains gridlocked, Türkiye’s alternative land‑and‑rail corridors, including the Middle Corridor and the Development Road project, have gained renewed strategic importance. Ankara continues to advocate for the full restoration of maritime freedom of navigation, but also offers bypass routes that can partially insulate European and Asian markets from the chaos in the strait. As the standoff persists, Türkiye’s role as a secure energy and logistics hub is becoming ever more critical.