Gulf Arab States See Iran's Control of the Strait of Hormuz as Likely Permanent, Wall Street Journal Reports

The Wall Street Journal, in a report carried by Arabi21 and reflected by Iran's Donya-e-Eqtesad newspaper by Tuesday, August 11, 2026 (20 Mordad 1405), wrote that Gulf Arab energy producers have concluded that Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz will likely be permanent, even though oil and gas exporters are unhappy with the deal under negotiation to reopen the waterway, since the alternative, a resumption of the war, is worse. According to Kpler data cited in the report, crude oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz fell to about 2.2 million barrels a day last week, down from around 8.5 million barrels a day a month earlier; Iran's own oil exports halved over the same week to 47,000 barrels a day. The Journal said the United Arab Emirates has reported that four of its vessels were attacked by Iran last week while attempting to transit the strait, and that a gas tanker was hit in a drone attack at Egypt's Damietta port. Omar Karim, a Gulf security researcher at the University of Birmingham, told the paper that Gulf Arab states can no longer guarantee full security in the strait and have no option but to partially meet Iran's demands. Brent crude was trading at about $87 a barrel on Monday, August 10.