The ongoing conflict has disrupted oil routes in the Middle East, with over a dozen oil tankers covertly "transiting" the Strait of Hormuz.

Despite the recent spate of attacks, the critical oil transportation channel in the Middle East via the Strait of Hormuz remains operational. This "maritime lifeline" is responsible for a significant volume of crude oil transfer and export. Satellite images show multiple vessels conducting ship-to-ship crude oil transfers outside the Strait of Hormuz, indicating that some tankers are still navigating these waters using a "backdoor" method. Data collected by the EUs "Sentinel-2" satellite on Monday identified 12 instances of such transfer operations over a stretch of water extending more than 100 kilometers (approximately 62 miles) along the coast of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Based on compiled vessel tracking data and statistics from Kpler and Vortexa, at least four supertankers have re-emerged after passing through the Strait of Hormuz since last Saturday, collectively carrying around 8 million barrels of crude oil. Some of these vessels have previously executed transfer tasks along this route multiple times, while others may be heading toward refineries in different parts of the world. In the context of the ongoing regional tensions, these transfer and transshipment activities provide critical support to the global energy market and have, to some extent, helped mitigate the surge in oil prices. It is estimated that millions of barrels of crude oil are transported through this waterway each day, effectively alleviating the supply gap caused by the conflict on the global market. However, this channel is not without risk. The United Arab Emirates' main state-owned oil company, the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), is one of the most active exporters of crude oil via the Strait of Hormuz during wartime. The company revealed late last week that 15 of its vessels had encountered attacks during the conflict. Just over the weekend following that statement, additional vessels were attacked. ADNOC's shipping division stated on Tuesday that its profits for the most recent quarter have significantly increased due to "providing additional services to deliver UAE energy to the world." At the same time, high freight rates have contributed to the rise in profits. Currently, most tankers departing from the Strait of Hormuz prefer to navigate along the Omani coastline; these vessels typically receive navigational assistance and protection from the U.S. military during their passage. The issue of navigation rights through the Strait of Hormuz has long been a critical point of divergence in negotiations to end the conflict with Iran. Iran insists on retaining approval rights over passing vessels and plans to impose tolls on transit; meanwhile, the U.S. has implemented a blockade on Iranian vessels to cut off their oil export flow. Due to the ongoing attacks against shipping, the number of shipowners willing to enter the Persian Gulf remains relatively limited. This situation has directly driven up tanker freight rates, with daily hire costs on benchmark routes once again approaching the high point of $500,000 per day.