In a post on his Truth Social platform on Monday night, President Donald Trump said the Iranian leadership has “forced hundreds of ships” towards oil-rich US states, such as Texas, Louisiana, and Alaska.

While it is unclear the type of ships he was referring to, shipping and trading analysts tell BBC Verify that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz by Iran has indeed driven a surge in demand for US crude oil.

The strait is a critical transit chokepoint for Gulf oil, but shipping has been severely disrupted since the start of the US-Israel war with Iran on 28 February.

Unable to access crude oil from the Middle East through the strait, importers have had to look for alternative suppliers.

Data from marine analytics firm Kpler suggests 71 oil tankers known as Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) are headed to the US to take on cargo compared with an average of 27 on any given day last year.

“Buyers from Europe and Asia saw oil loading out of the Atlantic basin — including from the US Gulf coast — as an accessible, plentiful solution to fill the supply gap,” says David Haydon, head of US crude tanker freight pricing at Argus Media, a market intelligence firm.

This appears to be driving an increase in US crude exports.

Maritime research consultancy Drewry says that, in the week ending 10 April, shipments reached 5.2 million barrels per day - the highest level in seven months.

(Source:BBC)