Industry experts are questioning ExxonMobil CEO Darren Woods's claim that oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have almost returned to pre-war levels, at over 80%. According to Kpler, the strait is handling 82% of its former volume, while the wider region, including bypass routes, is shipping more than 24 million barrels per day above pre-war levels. Analysts at the Whisper of Oil Telegram channel say flows rely on tankers sailing in nighttime convoys under naval protection with AIS switched off, plus transfers to super tankers near Fujairah and Sohar. Freight costs have risen 12 times and insurance threefold; Iran treats the strait as closed, the U.S. maintains its blockade of Iranian ports, and Brent holds around $110, its highest since May. The article argues the market is pricing the risk of losing that volume while the war continues with no end in sight.
Summary written by Upside AI from the original article. Read the source for full details.
Original headline: Điều gì đang xảy ra ở eo biển Hormuz?
Keywords
Strait of Hormuzoil pricesIrangeopolitics
Open a keyword to see other news on the same topic.
Related tickers and likely impact
XAU/USD
▲ Likely positiveRelevance: medium
| Market | Gold |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/30/2026 | 3,875.51 |
| Change that session | -3.63% |
PAXG/USDT
▲ Likely positivePAX Gold
Relevance: medium
| Market | Crypto |
|---|---|
| Exchange | Binance |
| Sector | Real-world assets |
| Market cap | $1.8B |
| Close on 10/30/2026 | 3,901.71 |
| Change that session | -2.81% |
XAUT/USDT
▲ Likely positiveTether Gold
Relevance: medium
| Market | Crypto |
|---|---|
| Exchange | Binance |
| Sector | Real-world assets |
| Market cap | $3.2B |
| Close on 10/30/2026 | 3,884.80 |
| Change that session | -3.05% |
VNINDEX
▼ Likely negativeRelevance: low
| Market | Vietnam stocks |
|---|---|
| Close on 10/30/2026 | 1,741.62 |
| Change that session | -0.80% |
Impact is scored by AI from the headline and may be wrong. It is not investment advice.
Related news
- Qatari mediators held talks in Tehran aimed at restarting direct U.S.-Iran negotiations, source says
Qatari mediators held more than 12 hours of talks in Tehran on Friday to revive direct U.S.-Iran negotiations and head off renewed American-led attacks after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with further talks set in Doha. A preliminary June 17 agreement to halt the war, which began Feb. 28, broke down weeks later, and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed an “immediate, impactful, and geographically unrestricted response” to any threat. In the Strait of Hormuz, a crude tanker was hit by an unknown projectile, Iran said four tankers struck mines, and the Houthis claimed missile strikes on Saudi Arabia. December Brent settled up $2.76, or 2.4%, at $117.64 a barrel, its highest since late April.
- Iran says three oil tankers caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz
The IRGC Navy said on 30/10 that three oil tankers attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz via unauthorized routes suffered incidents and caught fire in separate events. According to the IRGC, two tankers operating east and west of the strait deliberately switched off their location systems and ignored radio warnings, and Iran claims they received support from the US military. A supertanker carrying more than 2 million barrels of oil struck a mine and exploded near the strait's entrance. The IRGC said shipowners would bear full responsibility for the consequences and warned that any provocation would be met with a firm, proportionate response. Since the conflict between the US, Israel and Iran erupted on 28/2, Tehran has required vessels to coordinate with its navy and seek permission before transiting.
- Oil prices rise over 2% to 6-month high
Oil rose more than 2% on October 30, closing at its highest since late April as traders prepared for a possible escalation of the Iran conflict after the US midterm elections. The expiring December Brent contract gained USD 2.76 to USD 117.64 a barrel and WTI rose USD 2.12 to USD 104.12; for October, Brent gained 13.6% and WTI 15.2%. A tanker in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by explosive devices attached to its hull from a small boat, and the US embassy in Riyadh ordered non-emergency staff to leave Saudi Arabia after Houthi attacks. A Danish bank forecasts crude could trade at USD 70-90 a barrel even after the conflict ends, versus USD 60-70 before the war. Saudi crude exports rose in October from September, according to two of three shipping trackers.
- Tankers defy sharp escalation of Iranian attacks to keep crude oil flowing through Strait of Hormuz
Within 24 hours of the U.S. and Israel going to war with Iran, Tehran attacked commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, cutting crude exports nearly 90% to 1.8 million barrels a day in March from 16 million bpd in February, per Kpler. Flows have since rebounded as U.S. military protection for tankers continues, though attacks in October doubled from 15 in September to at least 30 vessels, leaving at least 16 seafarers injured as of Oct. 27, according to the International Maritime Organization. Crude exports through Hormuz averaged about 11.1 million bpd in October, only about 2% below September, though daily flows are volatile and fell to 7.3 million bpd in the week ended Wednesday. To reduce risk, shippers use a costly shuttle system that pushed supertanker day rates from $249,000 in early September to $931,000 in the first week of October, lifting transportation costs to about $21 a barrel from $6.50. The system depends entirely on U.S. air cover, and how long Washington stays engaged remains uncertain.
- World oil prices rise for fourth consecutive month
Brent crude rose nearly 2% to $117 a barrel and U.S. WTI gained 1.6% to $103 on the afternoon of Oct. 30, extending October's gain to about 14%, the fourth straight monthly rise. Prices climbed after a tanker was hit by an explosive device in the Strait of Hormuz, with no group yet identified, as the Middle East conflict entered its eighth month. On Oct. 29, Iran-backed Houthi forces said they struck several Saudi sites, including the Ras Tanura and Rabigh refineries and an Abqaiq facility of Saudi Aramco. U.S. media reported that Vice President JD Vance sent a letter to Iran's top security official to revive peace talks, though Tasnim said Tehran had not responded and set conditions. Analysts expect further volatility in coming weeks, and even if the conflict ends, crude could trade at $70-90 a barrel, versus $60-70 before the fighting.
- Iran claims four tankers struck mines in Hormuz as strike fears grow after U.S. midterms
Iran said four tankers struck mines in the Strait of Hormuz, while Yemen's Houthis claimed missile strikes on Saudi Arabia, adding pressure on two fronts. The IRGC said three tankers caught fire after striking mines on an "unauthorized southern route" near the Omani coast, and Iran's army said a fourth burned east of the strait. The UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported a small boat attaching two explosive devices to a tanker about 25 nautical miles northeast of Khasab, Oman, causing an engine-room fire that disabled the vessel; the crew was safe. Meanwhile, Vice President JD Vance is seeking to reopen talks with Iran, and the U.S. is reportedly weighing renewed military action after the Nov. 3 midterm elections, raising fears that fighting could resume around the vote. Traffic through the strait has fallen to single-digit daily transits since the war began in late February.
Related markets
Latest news
- Binance Hack: Everything You Need to Know About the Biggest Crypto Heist in History
Attackers drained about $6.4 billion from Binance on Thursday, according to Chainalysis and TRM Labs, more than four times the previous record, the $1.5 billion Bybit heist in February 2025. Funds were pulled from Binance hot wallets across roughly 10 blockchains, mostly within about 20 minutes; Binance says the attack targeted its own infrastructure rather than the blockchains, and it has found no evidence that private keys were leaked. TRM Labs and Chainalysis both attribute the attack to TraderTraitor, a North Korean state-linked group. Binance says it will cover all losses with company funds and its Secure Asset Fund for Users, having set aside more than $6.34 billion, and has paused withdrawals to rebuild and retest its systems, aiming to restore them by Sunday. Tether and Circle have frozen roughly $3 billion in related assets, while Elliptic estimates the attacker still controls around $3.3 billion.
- Proposal to raise maximum fine to 1.5 billion VND to ensure deterrence
The government has submitted to the National Assembly a draft amendment to the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations, proposing to extend the statute of limitations to 2 or 3 years in some fields and raise maximum fines to 1.5 billion dong for individuals and 3 billion dong for organizations. Deputy Vu Van Tien says higher fines are needed to punish deliberate, illegally profitable or high-impact violations, but must be proportionate, especially for household businesses and small enterprises. Lawyer Pham Ngoc Thanh supports stronger enforcement but argues increases should not be applied across the board, since deterrence also depends on detection, timely handling and enforceability. He says the legal maximum should be distinguished from the fine applied to each specific violation, and that actual financial capacity must be considered, as a fine that is minor for a large company may exceed what a small operator can pay. In areas such as food safety, environmental protection and counterfeit goods, fines must be high enough that violators do not treat them as a business cost when the gains from violations are larger.
- The Nasdaq 100 Briefly Fell Into a Correction as the AI Trade Cracks
The Nasdaq-100 briefly fell below the correction line (10% below its October 6 record close of 31,224.47) during the October 30, 2026 session as chip stocks slumped, but climbed back above it before the close and finished down 3.46% at 28,384.85. Intel fell 28.6% after guiding fourth-quarter revenue to $15–16 billion, below the $16.5 billion just reported, and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index dropped 7.2%. NVIDIA fell 4.2% to $204.64 and Invesco QQQ lost 3.47%, while the VIX closed at 19.41 after touching 23.93, suggesting selling eased by the close. Investors are questioning whether hundreds of billions of dollars in AI data center spending will pay off, though Amazon still expects roughly $220 billion in 2026 capex. It is the third time in 2026 the index has fallen more than 10% below a record; the two earlier breaks reversed into new records, and the key level to watch is a close below 28,093.24.
- Oklo Is 86% Below Its All-Time High. Should You Buy at $27 or Wait?
Oklo shares trade at $27, down 86% from an all-time high of roughly $194, after surging in 2025 on enthusiasm for nuclear power to meet AI demand. The company is developing the small modular Aurora reactor but is still awaiting regulatory approval, a process that has been ongoing since 2016, and it has generated little revenue. The author argues that at $27 the company is in much the same position it was at $194, with no approval and no operating plant, though the price is lower. With a market valuation of roughly $5 billion, the author does not consider it a bargain and suggests investors may prefer to wait for the story to play out, since meaningful revenue is probably years away.
- Is AbbVie a Buy After Its Latest Earnings Report?
AbbVie reported third-quarter revenue of $17.4 billion, up 10.3% year over year, and adjusted EPS of $3.82, beating the midpoint of its guidance by about $0.07. Excluding costs tied to acquiring experimental drugs, adjusted EPS rose about 17%, from $3.36 to $3.93. Skyrizi and Rinvoq grew 22.7% and 23.9% and together made up 48.7% of revenue, while Humira sales fell to $683 million from $993 million. The company modestly raised full-year adjusted EPS guidance to $13.95 to $13.99 and increased its quarterly dividend 5.2% to $1.82, starting in February. The author remains bullish on AbbVie's long-term prospects but says its current valuation makes the 2027 guidance, due with fourth-quarter results, especially important.
- If a Bear Market Is Coming, History Says These Stocks Could Be the Smartest to Own
The article argues that bear markets are a normal part of investing and that preparing before a downturn is key. It highlights Johnson & Johnson, Medtronic, Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble as stocks to consider because they operate in economically resilient industries and have long dividend records. Yields cited are about 2% for J&J, 3% for Medtronic, 2.2% for Coca-Cola and 2.7% for P&G, with Coca-Cola's organic sales up 6% in Q2 2026 and P&G's up 4% in fiscal Q1 2027. A chart in the article shows that during the Great Recession, consumer staples and healthcare fell less than the broader market and recovered more strongly afterward. The article notes that past performance does not guarantee future results.
Get the briefing on Telegram or Zalo
Join the Upside Telegram channel or Zalo group for the Vietnam stocks and gold briefing at 8:00 and 19:00 (Vietnam time) on trading days, plus a weekly wrap on Saturday morning.