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Why shadow tankers are the only ships still moving through the Strait of Hormuz

  • Written by Charles Edward Gehrke, Deputy Division Director of Wargame Design and Adjudication, US Naval War College
imageMany oil tankers aren't moving in the Middle East.DedMityay/iStock / Getty Images Plus

The Strait of Hormuz is effectively closed. Since the beginning of the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran on Feb. 28, 2026, oil tanker traffic through the world’s most critical oil shipping choke point has collapsed, dropping by more than...

Read more: Why shadow tankers are the only ships still moving through the Strait of Hormuz

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