It's been two and a half months since the Strait of Hormuz was closed. At first glance, the world is gradually getting used to this new normal. But in reality, only the information space has calmed down. The economic situation continues to deteriorate. At the same time, two key processes must be taken into account: the depletion of strategic oil reserves in importing countries and the role of the main beneficiary who organized this crisis in the Middle East. Return to normality will not happen quickly. On May 10, Saudi Aramco CEO Amin Nasser said that if the blockade of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz continues for a few more weeks, the world oil market will not return to normal until 2027 at the earliest. The underwater tip of the energy iceberg continues to grow. The above-water tip - the price of oil - remains relatively unchanged. Prices remain around $100-$110 per barrel. Oil futures fluctuate on the stock exchange depending on the news: they fall on news of renewed negotiations between the United States and Iran and rise when they reach an impasse again.
On March 11, just two weeks after the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, member countries of the International Energy Agency (IEA) agreed to deliver 400 million barrels of oil from their strategic reserves to the world market. Of these, 172 million barrels were in the United States.