Three Saudi-flagged supertankers transited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, according to ship-tracking data, just hours after US President Donald Trump signed a temporary agreement with Iran aimed at ending the conflict and reopening the vital shipping route. According to a Reuters analysis of maritime traffic data, the three vessels were carrying a combined 6 million barrels of crude oil. The tankers departed from Saudi ports on the Arabian Gulf, marking the largest commercial oil shipment to pass through the strait in weeks. In recent months, Saudi Arabia had relied primarily on its Red Sea export terminal at Yanbu to ship crude to global markets, adopting the route as a strategic alternative to avoid risks stemming from the conflict that erupted on Feb. 28 and disrupted the flow of hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from Gulf producers through the Strait of Hormuz. The transit of the Saudi tankers is seen as a strong indication that operations along the waterway are beginning to normalize and that the geopolitical risks that have threatened global energy security in recent months may be easing.
