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More than 17 million barrels of oil moved by ship through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, marking the strongest daily flow since the Iran war began in late February, according to United States Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

The figure offers a significant signal that a critical energy artery is recovering despite continuing attacks.

Wright disclosed the number during a Wednesday interview with CNBC.

The volume remains below the roughly 20 million barrels per day of crude oil and refined products that passed through the strait before the war started on Feb. 28, but the rebound has been substantial.

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When exports carried through pipelines in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are included, total regional shipments on Monday exceeded levels recorded before the conflict, Wright told CNBC’s Brian Sullivan.

Those pipelines bypass Hormuz and provide Gulf producers with an important alternative route to international markets.

The increase suggests that Iran is gradually losing leverage over one of the most consequential chokepoints in global commerce.

Wright said Tehran is losing its ability to “hold the world economic hostage” as the United States military helps commercial tankers navigate the dangerous passage.

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Iran is still interfering with shipping and attempting to impose costs on companies operating in the region. Yet Wright said Tehran is “causing some disruption but they are losing that card,” as more vessels successfully move through the American protected corridor.

The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, making it essential to global energy trade.

Any sustained closure could restrict supplies, drive oil prices sharply higher and impose heavier fuel costs on households, manufacturers and transportation companies around the world.

Washington has reported higher export volumes through Hormuz than several independent ship tracking services.

Wright has defended the government figures, arguing that the military and the Department of Energy possess better information because private tracking companies can miss vessels conducting covert passages.

That difference is especially relevant because many ships travel with their transponders switched off. Tankers may become difficult for commercial data providers to identify when they sail at night or deliberately conceal their locations to reduce the danger of an Iranian attack.

The United States military has established a shipping corridor along the coast of Oman for tankers operated by Gulf allies.

Vessels commonly use that protected route after dark, with electronic tracking systems disabled as an additional precaution against targeting.

“With or without Iran, oil and gas will flow out of the Arabian Gulf region and it’s happening,” Wright said.

His statement reflected growing confidence in Washington that naval protection and alternative export infrastructure can prevent Tehran from exercising effective control over regional energy flows.

Iran, however, has repeatedly attacked tankers traveling through the American protected corridor.

Tehran has demanded that commercial vessels instead use a northern route through Iranian territorial waters, a condition that would provide the regime with greater influence over their movement.

Several tankers came under attack during the week, demonstrating that the security threat has not disappeared.

The improved flow of crude therefore represents a logistical and military achievement, but it does not eliminate the possibility of fresh disruptions or a sudden escalation.

Oil markets remained sensitive to the rapidly changing security picture on Wednesday. United States crude futures declined about 1 percent, although the contract traded near $90 per barrel earlier in the session while Washington and Tehran exchanged military strikes.

Those strikes broke a period of relative calm and reminded traders that the conflict can quickly inject another risk premium into energy prices.

Even if tankers continue to pass through Hormuz, insurance expenses, security costs and the threat of damaged vessels could keep pressure on the market.

For investors, Monday’s record wartime transit figure is evidence that physical oil supplies are moving more freely than some feared.

Still, the gap between government statistics and private tracking estimates, combined with continued tanker attacks, means every new shipment and military development will remain closely watched.

DISCLAIMER: GoldInvestors.news is not a registered investment, legal or tax advisor or broker/dealer. All investment/financial opinions expressed by GoldInvestors.news are from the personal research and experience of the owner of the site and are intended as educational material. Although best efforts are made to ensure that all information is accurate and up to date, occasionally unintended errors and misprints may occur.