Tankers Gather Outside Persian Gulf in Wager on Hormuz Reopening

The Strait of Hormuz remains closed due to an ongoing conflict involving Iran, causing approximately 55 tankers to wait in holding positions near the Indian Ocean and East Africa, with major disruptions to Persian Gulf oil export flows. Tanker owners are strategically repositioning vessels within 3–5 sailing days of the Gulf in anticipation of a potential reopening, while the timeline and conditions for resumption of normal transit remain highly uncertain.