US energy chief says oil flows from Gulf at 15M barrels per day

US Secretary of Energy Chris Wright said Tuesday that oil flows from the Gulf have risen to approximately 15 million barrels per day, citing coordinated efforts by the US military and its Gulf allies.

Wright said the seven-day average for oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz had reached nearly 9 million barrels per day.

"Thanks to the coordinated efforts of the U.S. military and our gulf allies, the seven-day average for oil leaving the Strait of Hormuz is currently up to almost 9 million barrels per day," he wrote on US social media platform X. "When combined with the additional 5-7 million barrels per day leaving the region via newly upgraded pipelines and export facilities, total oil flows are currently averaging approximately 15 million barrels per day."

Wright also said more than 20 million barrels of oil left the Arabian Gulf region Sunday, describing the figure as above the pre-war average.

Washington and Tel Aviv struck Iran in late February with coordinated attacks. The US and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding June 17 and launched negotiations toward a final agreement. Those talks, however, stalled on disagreements about security guarantees and freedom of navigation through the strait, one of the world's most strategic routes for global energy supplies and trade.

From July 8 - 24, the US and Iran exchanged military strikes, with Washington launching attacks on targets inside Iran. Tehran responded by striking US military facilities and equipment in several Arab countries, including Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait.