Nine attacks were recorded in a single week, the highest since the closure began in February — though Reuters sources put the toll at 12. Tanker movements are 98% below pre-war levels and diplomacy has so far produced nothing.
The Strait of Hormuz, which once handled around 20 million barrels a day, saw just four commodity vessels cross it on Monday. Tanker shuttles, ship-to-ship transfers and overland pipelines are filling the gap, but global inventories have fallen sharply and diesel prices have hit record levels.
The war has cut Gulf oil production from 26 million barrels per day to around 16 million, with Qatar's natural gas output down roughly 67%. Gulf Cooperation Council economies are expected to shrink by an average of 4.3%.
The USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group and a second flotilla carrying 2,000 Marines have left for the region. US officials say the forces would give Washington broader military options if talks with Tehran fail.
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