Record Oil Flow Through Hormuz
Donald Trump announced on June 23 that 19 million barrels of oil passed through the Strait of Hormuz the previous day, which he described as an all-time record. Trump wrote on Truth Social that "19 million barrels of oil flowed out of the Hormuz Strait (on Monday) — an all time RECORD," adding that "oil prices are tumbling down, and the world is a much safer place." He framed the milestone as a vindication of his administration's approach to the conflict with Iran, and suggested the media was working to downplay what he called a U.S. victory.
The claim has not been independently verified. Trump's figures have not yet been independently verified. For context, the strait's two unidirectional sea lanes facilitate the transit of around 20 million barrels of oil per day, representing roughly 20% of global seaborne oil trade.
Iran Agrees to Nuclear Inspections in Exchange for Open Strait
Trump confirmed the Hormuz blockade would not be reinstated following what he described as significant concessions from Tehran. Trump stated: "Based on this and other major concessions being made by Iran, I have agreed to allow the Hormuz Strait to remain OPEN, with no further naval blockade," while adding that all ships remain in place should it be necessary to reinstitute the blockade, which he called "highly unlikely."
The central concession Trump cited was Iran's agreement to nuclear inspections. The U.S. claims that Iran agreed during talks over the weekend to grant UN inspectors access to its nuclear sites, access that had stopped after the U.S. bombed three of them last year. However, the picture from Tehran was less clear. An Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson said Iran had neither held a meeting with International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi in Switzerland nor planned for the UN nuclear watchdog to inspect Iran's damaged nuclear facilities.
The dispute over the strait has had significant implications for global energy markets. Iran announced the strait was "closed" on 4 March, threatening to attack any ship that attempted to pass it, after the U.S. and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran in late February. Trump credited earlier covert oil transit operations with keeping oil prices around $90 per barrel instead of surging above $200.
Sources:
Times of Israel: Live coverage, June 23, 2026
CNBC: Trump says U.S. secretly moved more than 100 million barrels of oil through Strait of Hormuz
Wikipedia: 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis