Breaking news: Middle East oil and liquefied natural gas loadings are continuing despite new ship attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz, even as traffic through the waterway remains sharply below normal and some tankers appear to be switching off tracking signals to reduce their exposure.
Reuters, via gCaptain, reported Monday that regional producers were pushing ahead with oil and LNG loadings after attacks on a container ship Thursday and an oil tanker Saturday helped trigger renewed U.S.-Iran strikes. The report said energy shipping slowed after the attacks, but loadings did not stop.
That distinction matters. Recent List25 coverage has focused on Gulf strikes, U.S.-Iran talks in Qatar, Iran’s frozen-assets claim, and regional diplomatic condemnation. This update is different because it shows the energy system still moving under stress, with producers trying to keep exports flowing while ship operators treat Hormuz as a live security risk.
Loadings Continue, But Risk Is Visible
Reuters reported that Saudi Arabia’s Ras Tanura terminal had a fourth Very Large Crude Carrier loading Monday. The same report said some VLCCs went dark after leaving the terminal over the weekend, a common risk-reduction step in dangerous waters because it makes ships harder to track publicly.
The report also said Iran accelerated oil loadings, with both of its export terminals at Kharg Island operating at the same time Saturday for the first time in nearly a week. Qatar and the United Arab Emirates also continued LNG-related movements, according to the Reuters reporting summarized by gCaptain.
The picture is not a return to normal. It is a sign that energy exporters are trying to maintain flows while the security environment remains unsettled. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy chokepoints, and even partial disruption can quickly affect oil, LNG, insurance, and freight markets.
Traffic Is Still Below Normal
Anadolu Agency reported that vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz continued amid security concerns, citing ship-tracking data showing 108 verified crossings between June 26 and June 28. The reported traffic included container ships, tankers, and LNG-linked vessels, though movement eased after the strongest day in that window.
Anadolu also reported that routes remained divided: some ships used the Omani route, some used the Iranian route, and others were classified as dark or unknown. That split suggests operators are still weighing risk rather than simply resuming pre-crisis patterns.
Al-Monitor separately reported that traffic through the strait had fallen after Iran and the United States traded fire, with Sunday passages far below the estimated daily levels seen before the war began.
What To Watch
The key question is whether the current pattern holds: loadings continue, but at higher risk and with lower traffic density through Hormuz. If the reported U.S.-Iran stand-down holds and talks resume, exporters may keep pushing cargoes through while insurers and shipowners reassess the danger.
If another vessel is hit, the market reaction could be much sharper because the latest data shows the system is already operating cautiously. For now, the newest development is not a shutdown of Gulf energy exports. It is a strained continuation: oil and LNG cargoes are still loading, but Hormuz traffic is moving under visible pressure.
Sources: Reuters via gCaptain; Anadolu Agency; Al-Monitor.
Featured image: Public domain satellite image of the Strait of Hormuz via Wikimedia Commons.