Three Saudi oil tankers carrying 6 million barrels cross Strait of Hormuz

Three supertankers from Saudi Arabia loaded with 6 million barrels of oil have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, according to data from the global trade intelligence firm Kpler. The Saudi tankers switched their transponders on Thursday in the Gulf of Oman after hiding their location for more than two months. The crossings come after President Donald Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a deal Wednesday that is supposed to reopen Hormuz. Vice President JD Vance told reporters later Thursday that more than 12 million barrels of oil passed through Hormuz overnight. "That is a high since the beginning of the conflict," Vance said at a White House press briefing. Around 14 million barrels per day of oil and 6 million bpd of refined products passed through Hormuz before the war. Kpler had not observed a major traffic increase as of Thursday morning. More than 100 ships, dozens of which were tankers, transited the strait daily before the Iran war. "The floodgates haven't opened, there is no mass exodus as yet," said Matt Smith, director of commodity research at Kpler. Shippers still appear hesitant to cross Hormuz, Smith said. The Saudi tankers are very large crude carriers, or VLCCs, that can each carry up to around 2 million barrels of oil. The Shaden is sailing to Kiire, Japan, and the Awtad is en route to Ulsan, South Korea, according to Kpler. The Jaham's destination is not clear yet. At least five Iranian ships have crossed the U.S. …