Hundreds of ships drop anchor in Middle East Gulf, data shows

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

March 1, 2026 6:46 AM EST Updated 25 mins ago


LONDON, March 1 (Reuters) - At least 150 tankers, including crude and LNG vessels, dropped anchor in open Gulf waters beyond the Strait of Hormuz and dozens more were stationary on the other side of the chokepoint, shipping data showed on Sunday, after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the region into turmoil.

The tankers were clustered in open waters off the coasts of major Gulf oil producers, including Iraq and Saudi Arabia, as well as liquefied natural gas giant Qatar, according to Reuters estimates based on ship-tracking data from the MarineTraffic platform.

Many of the vessels were stationary within exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the key Gulf countries, including Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, according to MarineTraffic data. An EEZ extends up to 24 miles and beyond local territorial limits of 12 nautical miles. Dozens of cargo ships were separately clustered across various EEZs, the data showed.

Some 20% of global oil, including from producers Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Kuwait and Iran, passes through Hormuz, along with large volumes of LNG from Qatar. In addition, at least another 100 tankers were anchored outside of the strait, along the UAE and Omani coasts and anchorage points as well as dozens of cargo ships, according to the data.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/hundreds-ships-drop-anchor-middle-east-gulf-us-war-iran-escalates-data-shows-2026-03-01/

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Complete freeze.



This might happen at other transits points too like the Suez Canal.

[ChicagoTeamster]

1. Is this in protest or because they are waiting until they feel secure enough to continue working.?

The Houthis in Yemen said they would resume attacks on Israel and on gulf shipping

[ananda]

2. I forgot about them.

What a clusterfuck.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. They operate along the coast of Yemen

and after 45 claimed to have obliterated them, they will most certainly resurrect out of nowhere.

[ananda]

6. Looks like we have a lot of "obliterated" people and places...

suddenly resurrecting.

[IbogaProject]

8. Market manipulation

Part of this scheme is to break the decline in oil prices. A goal is to get the prices above $70 a barrel, as our fracked oil is expensive to priduce and needs a high enough price to be profitable. I bet our spoiled brat, chicken-hawk in chief also wants supply disruptions to encourage investment in Venezuelan and Guyanan oil. This will play weird as I think we have already reached peak oil consumption. Renewables outside the USA are growing at an accelerating rate and are now entering the scale where they are displacing traditional energy sources. By parking those boats their cargo increases in value.

[BumRushDaShow]

11. But ironically

the smaller producers like Libya, have suddenly started increasing what they can produce (just saw an article today) - Libya's Mabruk oil field to increase production to up to 30,000 bpd.

Libya had extensive fields at one time but those were devastated during their prolonged civil war.

It's a fraction of a drop in the bucket compared to what typical oil producers are generating. But it seems that previously dormant producers are prepping for the inevitable hikes to cash in on.

[pat_k]

13. The real reason is captured in the last phrase of the article: "insurance market volatility."

Insurance has probably skyrocketed a level that has rendered tankers effectively uninsurable. An no tanker will move without insurance.

The US and Israel can declare the strait is protected and free of mines 'til the cows come home.

Underwriters know enough not to believe a word the US administration utters.

[ChicagoTeamster]

15. The same logic will soon apply to homeowners insurance in FL, TX, and CA.

[Esox Lucius]

3. supply chain bottleneck + tarrifs ?

[Hugin]

4. "Oil jumps 10% on Iran conflict and could spike to $100 a barrel, analysts say."

LONDON, March 1 (Reuters) - Brent crude jumped 10% to about $80 a barrel over the counter on Sunday, oil traders said, while analysts predicted that prices could climb as high as $100 after U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran plunged the Middle East into a new war.

"While the military attacks are themselves supportive for oil prices, the key factor here is the closing of the Strait of Hormuz," said Ajay Parmar, director of energy and refining at ICIS.

Source: https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-jumps-10-iran-conflict-could-spike-100-barrel-analysts-say-2026-03-01/

The only thing surging more is Epstein Idi Amin “I did that.” stickers.

[LiberalArkie]

7. Lloyds shipping insurance doubled and is expected to double again if they enter the strait. They can't afford it.

Supposedly over a million to enter. Iran doesn't have to attack any ship. Just the threat is enough to bring everything to a screeching halt.

[COL Mustard]

9. Wait...I thought that oil

Was supposed to be a buck a barrel by now. What do you mean, it's going up??????

[LiberalArkie]

10. Well the oil being shipped is the same price, but the oil being delivered will be higher. But

it is the same type of event that happens when a tanker stops (catches on fire, sinks, etc) in the strait. I think this does happen frequently.

Not all oil from that area goes through the Strait though

[Sweet Rosie Red]

12. Correct, but 100% of oligarchs will gleefully rake up prices

Buckle up, its gonna be a long, rough ride. In the seventies, you could only buy gas on even or odd days, depending on the last digit of your license plate, and the ration was 5 gallons a day.

[COL Mustard]

16. I remember those days.

Also, what was fun was being in Germany in the Army and buying gas coupon books at the PX. You would prepay for an amount, usually 100 liters, and then when you went into the German gas stations you gave the attendant your coupons. Forty liters was usually about a tankful. Occasionally one had to buy at German prices...that was not fun

[republianmushroom]

14. Iran was shopping for ship missals from China.

Wonder what for ?