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Middle East crude oil exports rise above pre-war levels despite ongoing Hormuz attacks

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 8 outlets across the spectrum.

12 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Shipping data from analytics firm Kpler shows Middle East crude oil exports surpassed pre-war levels on several days in late September, even as attacks on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz continued. Non-Iranian exports reportedly reached between 19.5 and 22.5 million barrels per day on multiple days, while Reuters cited a seven-day average of 18.3 million barrels per day, with volumes exceeding pre-war levels on 14 days in September. Producers have increasingly used alternative routes, including the Red Sea and ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman, to bypass Hormuz. Iranian officials dispute the significance of the recovery, while U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said gasoline and diesel prices are falling as a result of rising Gulf supply.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Middle East crude oil exports surpassed pre-war levels on multiple days in late September, according to Kpler shipping data

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

  2. Producers have increasingly relied on alternative routes, including the Red Sea and ship-to-ship transfers in the Gulf of Oman, to bypass the Strait of Hormuz

    Reported byCenterRight

  3. IRGC commander Ali Fadavi dismissed the oil flows through the US-supervised Hormuz route as ‘negligible’ compared with pre-war traffic

    Reported byLeft

  4. G7 nations released energy stockpiles to counter surging diesel prices around the same period

    Reported byCenter

  5. U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said gasoline and diesel prices are falling as Gulf oil supply increases

    Reported byRight

Show 2 more pointsShow fewer points

  1. Saudi Arabia led the export recovery, loading crude from both the Red Sea and the Gulf

    Reported byRight

  2. Attacks on tankers transiting the Strait of Hormuz have continued or increased even as export volumes recovered

    Reported byLeftCenterRight

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The scale and significance of the export recovery

    Kpler data cited by Al Jazeera and Deutsche Welle puts exports at 19.5–22.5 million barrels per day on four days in late September, while Reuters (via New York Post) cites a seven-day moving average of 18.3 million barrels per day with volumes exceeding pre-war levels on 14 days in September; Iranian commander Ali Fadavi called the flows through the U.S.-supervised route ‘negligible.’

  • Whether gasoline and diesel prices are falling as a result of the export recovery

    U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said prices are ‘absolutely’ going to keep dropping, citing record U.S. gasoline production and falling demand; other outlets note G7 nations had to release stockpiles to tame ‘surging’ diesel prices, suggesting price pressure persisted.

How each side tells it

Compare views

  • the left

    2 outlets

    Al Jazeera’s headline states the export recovery as fact but foregrounds Iranian skepticism about its significance in the subheadline.

    Iran Ramps Up Ship Attacks in Hormuz as Oil, Gas Flows Climb
    BloombergLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    3 outlets

    Center outlets’ headlines emphasize the data-driven recovery in exports, with one outlet (Semafor) framing it through its effect on oil prices rather than the recovery itself.

    Oil rises as concerns over Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia eclipse supply recovery
    CNBCCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    3 outlets

    The Epoch Times centers its headline on a U.S. official’s promise that gas prices will fall, while the New York Post’s Reuters report centers on export data and the threat environment facing tankers.

    Oil Is Flowing Again — Here’s Why Your Prices Aren’t Back To Normal Yet
    The Daily WireFar RightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Center0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

Words quoted from someone else (1)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Loaded modifier

    Quoted

    negligibleMore neutral: small

    The word frames the recovery as insignificant, a characterization attributed to an Iranian military official rather than an established fact.

    IRGC commander says oil flows through US-supervised route in Hormuz are ‘negligible’.

    Quoted byAl Jazeera English (Left)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

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See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

2 outlets

Leads with

  • Iranian commander’s dismissal of the recovery as negligible
  • US naval posture in the Gulf
  • military tensions with Iran

Leaves out

  • Alternative routes and ship-to-ship transfers used to bypass Hormuz
  • G7 stockpile releases
  • Gasoline and diesel price declines cited by U.S. officials

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 2 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

3 outlets

Leads with

  • Alternative shipping routes and ship-to-ship transfers
  • specific export volume figures
  • G7 stockpile release to ease diesel prices
  • ongoing tanker attacks as a risk to the recovery

Leaves out

  • Iranian officials’ characterization of the flows as negligible
  • U.S. Energy Secretary’s comments on falling gas and diesel prices

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

3 outlets

Leads with

  • Falling gasoline and diesel prices
  • Saudi Arabia’s role in driving the export increase
  • persistent and unpredictable threats to tankers

Leaves out

  • Iranian officials’ dismissal of the recovery
  • G7 stockpile release
  • Details on ship-to-ship transfer routes

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 3 headlines from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Daily WireFar Right

    Oil Is Flowing Again — Here’s Why Your Prices Aren’t Back To Normal Yet

    The Strait of Hormuz remains open this week, with shipments nearing prewar levels, but fuel prices won’t follow suit until diesel shipments resume and countries replenish their oil inventories. Last week, the U.S. …

    Read at The Daily Wire (opens in a new tab)
  • New York PostRightReuters report

    Gulf oil exports tops pre-war levels amid ships facing ‘unpredictable’ threats

    Led by Saudi Arabia, Gulf oil exports hit 18.3 million barrels-per-day in September, topping pre-war levels despite rising tanker attacks in Hormuz.

    Read at New York Post (opens in a new tab)
  • The Epoch TimesFar Right

    Wright Says Gas Prices ‘Absolutely’ Going to Drop as Hormuz Oil Flows Rebound

    The U.S. Energy Secretary says fuel prices are falling as Gulf crude shipments recover, even with attacks continuing near the Strait of Hormuz.

    Read at The Epoch Times (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    First to report

    Al Jazeera English, Oct 5, 1:20 AM EDT

  • Center

    14 min later

    Its first report, Oct 5, 1:35 AM EDT

  • Right

    10 hr 19 min later

    Its first report, Oct 5, 11:39 AM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 5, 1:20 AM EDT
  2. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 5, 1:35 AM EDT
  3. SemaforCenterOct 5, 6:50 AM EDT
  4. The Epoch TimesFar RightOct 5, 11:39 AM EDT
  5. New York PostRightOct 5, 1:36 PM EDT
  6. The Daily WireFar RightOct 6, 7:53 AM EDT
  7. CNBCCenterOct 6, 8:53 AM EDT
  8. BloombergLeftOct 6, 12:18 PM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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