Saudi Arabia quietly moved 100 million barrels of oil before US-Israel strike on Iran

Saudi Arabia moved more than 100 million barrels of oil into storage outside the Middle East even before the start of the Israeli and U.S. military operation against Iran, U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright revealed in an interview with ABC News, News.Az reports.

According to Wright, the decision was taken as tensions in the region escalated and concerns grew over potential disruptions to global oil flows.

“In fact, some of our allies — Saudi Arabia, I’ll name it, although it’s not the only one — placed more than 100 million barrels of oil in storage outside the Middle East even before the conflict began, simply watching the rising tensions in the region and knowing that the American administration was determined to deal with Iran,” Wright said.

The U.S. energy chief noted that governments and energy partners had developed multiple contingency plans in case Iran attempted to block the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical oil transit chokepoints.

However, Wright declined to disclose the exact measures that were prepared to ensure global energy supplies if the strait were closed.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of global oil shipments, making it a strategic pressure point during any escalation between Iran and Western allies.

The revelation suggests that major oil-producing states had already begun preparing for potential supply disruptions well before the military operation against Iran began, seeking to stabilize markets and maintain steady flows to global consumers.

News.Az