Iran sends millions of oil barrels to China through Strait of Hormuz even

Iran has continued to send large amounts of crude oil via the Strait of Hormuz to China even as the war between U.S.-Israel and Iran has jeopardized broader supplies through the critical waterway.

Iran has sent at least 11.7 million barrels of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz since the war began on Feb. 28, all of which were headed to China, Samir Madani, co-founder of TankerTrackers, told CNBC on Tuesday.

The firm monitors vessel movements with satellite imagery, allowing it to capture vessels that would otherwise go undetected if their tracking systems are switched off. Many vessels have “gone dark” after Tehran threatened to attack any vessel attempting to pass through the waterway.

Shipping intelligence data provider Kpler estimates around 12 million barrels of crude oil to have passed through the strait since the war started. “Given that China has been the primary buyer of Iranian crude in recent years, a significant share of these barrels could ultimately head there,” said Nhway Khin Soe, crude analyst at Kpler, adding that confirming the final destination for these vessels had become increasingly challenging.

China’s National Energy Administration did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comments.

The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that has been critical to the transportation of about one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas, has seen shipping traffic slow to a trickle since the war started last month, with tankers largely avoiding the besieged waterway.

Ten vessels in or near the Strait of Hormuz came under Tehran’s attack less than two weeks into the war, killing at least seven seafarers onboard, according to the International Maritime Organization.

Oil tankers transiting through the Strait “must be very careful,” a spokesman for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in an interview with CNBC’s Dan Murphy on Monday.

Three of the six tankers captured on satellite imagery that have departed Iran since Feb. 28 were Iranian-flagged, said Madani.

As oil prices have soared on supply disruption fears, U.S. President Donald Trump told Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade that ships stranded near the passageway need to “show some guts” and push through the channel. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, they have no Navy, we sunk all their ships,” Trump said.

Kharg island terminal, located about 15 miles off the coast of mainland Iran, has long been the country’s primary oil export facility, handling around 90% of its crude exports before tankers travel through the Strait of Hormuz.

Now, Iran has also resumed loading tankers at the Jask oil and gas terminal along the Gulf of Oman, south of the Strait of Hormuz, which could add additional capacity to crude shipments….