In its most recent report, the oil analytics firm Vertexa stated that Iran’s oil exports have dropped by more than 80 percent since the United States imposed a naval blockade on the country.
According to a Reuters report released on Thursday, which cited this information, only a limited number of Iranian oil tankers departed from the Gulf of Oman between April 13 and 25, 2026, corresponding to the dates of April 24 and May 5, 2026.
In March 2026, Iran exported roughly 23 million barrels of oil.
Vertexa, as quoted by Reuters, indicated that this number is down more than 80 percent compared to the same period in March 2026, prior to the naval blockade of Iranian ports.
“At this time, we estimate that around 4 million barrels of Iranian crude oil have successfully left the Gulf of Oman,” Vertexa wrote in an email to Reuters. “We cannot confirm at this moment whether any of those vessels have been captured.”
The US naval blockade of Iranian ports has caused the country’s domestic storage facilities to reach full capacity, resulting in an increasing volume of crude oil remaining on tankers without a destination.
Several vessels belonging to the Islamic Republic have been captured by US forces after loading and departing from Iranian ports. Simultaneously, the US Central Command, CENTCOM, announced that since the naval blockade began, “44 commercial vessels have been instructed to change course or return to port.”
On May 26, 2020, Donald Trump spoke with executives from US oil companies about strategies to mitigate the potential impact of a prolonged US naval blockade of Iranian ports.
Concerns that the Islamic Republic’s naval blockade may be extended have led to a significant increase in oil prices on global markets.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned about the worsening global economic impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz due to the conflict with Iran, stating that the blockage of this vital waterway is “suffocating the world economy.”
Iran’s oil exports have decreased by 80% due to the increasing restrictions imposed by the US naval blockade.
