On August 24, 2026, seven crude carriers were moored at Iraq’s Persian Gulf export facilities, marking a sharp increase from recent weeks. These carriers had a combined carrying capacity of approximately 13 million barrels:
Satellite imagery shows that this activity occurred at the Al Basrah Oil Terminal, where typically only one or two tankers were seen in recent weeks:
Despite this increase, Iraqi exports have not yet returned to pre-war levels, and all barrels still have to pass through the Strait of Hormuz:
Iraq stated that it is exporting around 2 million barrels per day in August, while Iranian oil exports have significantly decreased:
