The following is a list of U.S. universities where international students and faculty have faced visa revocations, detentions, or deportation orders under the Trump administration—many targeted for pro-Palestinian activism. In many cases, students have been accused, without evidence, of supporting terrorism or posing “foreign policy” risks. 🧵⬇️
2/ Arizona State University (ASU):
8 international students recently had their visas revoked, reportedly by U.S. consulates in their home countries. While ASU initially suggested the revocations were linked to “various legal infractions,” no specific charges or criminal records have been identified. Activism, including pro-Palestinian protests, has been cited as a factor in similar cases nationwide, though ASU denies this connection for its students.
3/ Brown University (RI):
Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a 34-year-old assistant professor and kidney transplant specialist, was deported to Lebanon despite holding a valid H-1B visa and a federal judge’s order temporarily halting her removal. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents reportedly found deleted photos and videos of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah’s funeral on her phone.
4/ Columbia University (NY):
Mahmoud Khalil, a former graduate student and pro-Palestinian activist, was detained and faces deportation proceedings. Ranjani Srinivasan, a 37-year-old doctoral student from India, fled to Canada after her F-1 visa was revoked, reportedly due to online advocacy for Palestine. Yunseo Chung, a legal permanent resident who has lived in the U.S. since age 7, is suing the Trump administration after ICE attempted to revoke her status following her participation in pro-Palestinian protests. All cases highlight the targeting of pro-Palestinian activism under immigration enforcement.
5/ Colorado State University & University of Colorado:
A total of 10 international students had their F-1 visas revoked by the Department of Homeland Security. At CSU, six students were affected, including five Kuwaiti nationals and a Saudi graduate working on campus. CU reported four students impacted across its Boulder and Colorado Springs campuses but withheld further details.
6/ Cornell University (NY):
Momodou Taal, a British-Gambian Ph.D. student in Africana Studies, left the U.S. after his visa was revoked due to his involvement in pro-Palestinian protests. DHS agents reportedly visited his residence, prompting him to self-deport after a judge denied his motion to block deportation. Taal had faced suspension from Cornell for leading protests, including a disruption of a career fair featuring arms companies. He cited fears for his safety and the “lawlessness” of the Trump administration as reasons for his departure.
7/ Georgetown University (DC):
Badar Khan Suri, an Indian postdoctoral researcher and professor, was detained by ICE after his J-1 visa was revoked. DHS accused him of disseminating “Hamas propaganda” and fostering antisemitism on social media, though no evidence has been presented to substantiate these claims. Suri is currently held in a Texas detention center under overcrowded conditions, with his academic work indefinitely suspended. His detention highlights the Trump administration’s intensified scrutiny of international students’ social media activity, particularly targeting pro-Palestinian activism.
Read Drop Site’s report for more details on Badar Khan Suri.
8/ North Carolina State University (NC):
Two Saudi graduate students, including Saleh Al Gurad, had their visas abruptly terminated by the U.S. government on March 25, without explanation or prior notice to the university. Al Gurad, studying engineering management and employed on campus, was apolitical and uninvolved in protests, according to his roommate. Both students self-deported to Saudi Arabia to avoid detainment, with NC State offering to help them complete their semester remotely.
9/ Southern Illinois University (IL):
An international student had their visa revoked last week, leaving them in immigration limbo. The university confirmed the revocation but has not disclosed the student’s name or country of origin. The federal government provided no explanation for the action, sparking anxiety among SIU’s international community. SIU issued guidance urging students to exercise caution on social media and at protests, emphasizing the risks such activities may pose to their immigration status.
10/ Temple University (PA):
An unnamed international student had their visa revoked by the U.S. Secretary of State for unspecified reasons, discovered during a routine review of visa records. The student, reportedly unaware of the revocation until informed by Temple’s Office of Global Engagement, chose to return to their home country voluntarily. While no evidence or allegations have been disclosed, advocacy groups like CAIR-Philadelphia have raised concerns that such actions may be linked to anti-genocide or pro-Palestinian activism, reflecting broader patterns of targeting student protestors nationwide.
11/ Tufts University (MA):
Rumeysa Ozturk, a Turkish Ph.D. student and Fulbright Scholar, was detained by ICE on March 25 while leaving her apartment for an Iftar dinner. Her visa was revoked shortly after, reportedly linked to an op-ed she co-authored in The Tufts Daily criticizing Israel and advocating for divestment from companies tied to its military actions in Gaza. Ozturk is currently held in a Louisiana detention center, with no formal charges filed. Tufts University has publicly condemned her detention, describing her as a valued community member in good immigration standing at the time of her arrest.
12/ UCLA (CA):
At least eight international students had their visas revoked under unclear circumstances, reportedly tied to arrests or misdemeanor convictions, according to campus sources. The Dashew Center for International Students and Scholars confirmed the terminations but could not provide further details on individual cases. Faculty groups have expressed concern over the lack of transparency and the potential targeting of students based on racial or political profiling, as similar cases nationwide have involved accusations of activism-related visa violations.
13/ University of Alabama (AL):
Alireza Doroudi, an Iranian doctoral student in mechanical engineering, was detained by ICE after his F-1 visa was revoked. DHS claims Doroudi poses “significant national security concerns,” though no evidence or charges have been presented. He was arrested at his home early in the morning and transferred to the Jena-LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana, a site criticized for human rights abuses. Doroudi’s attorney disputes the allegations, stating that he has no criminal record or involvement in protests, and was legally present in the U.S. pursuing his studies.
14/ University of Cincinnati (OH):
Multiple international students had their F-1 visas revoked by the Department of Homeland Security, with no specific reasons provided. UC President Neville Pinto confirmed the revocations in a campus-wide letter, describing the situation as deeply alarming and part of a broader trend affecting universities nationwide. The exact number of impacted students remains undisclosed
15/ University of Oregon (OR):
An unnamed international student had their F-1 visa revoked by the Department of Homeland Security on March 28 due to “unspecified criminal charges.” The university confirmed it was not notified in advance and has no details about the alleged charges. The student was given 15 days to leave the U.S. unless they could find a legal pathway to remain.
16/ University of Texas at Austin (TX):
Two international students, one Indian and one Lebanese, had their legal status terminated by DHS, reportedly tied to their participation in anti-Israel protests on campus. The revocations stem from the federal directive targeting activism deemed “counter to U.S. foreign policy interests.” Both students chose to leave the U.S. voluntarily rather than face detention.
17/ University of California Campuses:
▪️UCLA: At least nine students, faculty and student groups had their visas revoked. It's unclear whether any students were detained by immigration authorities or why the visas were canceled. The student government, which has been in touch with the UCLA administration confirmed the number.
▪️ At UC Davis, officials said visas for seven students and five recent graduates were terminated.
"This number may change. Federal agents have not entered our campus, and they have not placed any member of our community in custody," a university statement said on Saturday.
▪️UC San Diego: Five students lost their F-1 visas without prior notice, and a sixth student was detained at the border and deported to their home country. The federal government has provided no explanation for these actions.
▪️UC Irvine: Five international students were impacted by visa revocations; details remain undisclosed.
▪️UC Berkeley: Four students had their visas revoked, with no reasons specified. Advocacy groups suspect ties to activism.
▪️UC Santa Barbara: Three cases of visa revocations were reported, but no further details have been released.
18/ Stanford University (CA):
Four current students and two recent graduates had their visas revoked, according to a routine SEVIS database check. Stanford officials stated they were unaware of the reasons behind the revocations and confirmed no presence of immigration authorities on campus at the time. The affected individuals were notified, and the university is providing external legal assistance. No specific allegations have been disclosed.
19/ Minnesota State University (MN):
Five international students had their visas revoked by DHS, with no prior notification to the students or the university. The revocations were discovered during a routine SEVIS database check by the school’s Global Education department. University President Edward Inch described the situation as unprecedented and troubling, urging sensitivity due to privacy laws.
20/ Texas A&M University (TX):
Three international students recently had their legal status terminated by DHS, with no specific reasons disclosed. University officials investigating the cases found that one of the students had a resolved speeding ticket, while the others had no apparent infractions or ties to activism.
21/ Fordham University (NY): President Tania Tetlow confirmed in an April 4 email that an undergraduate student recently had their visa revoked, marking the first known case at the university amid a broader national trend. No details about the student’s identity or the reasons for the revocation were disclosed.
22/ University of Minnesota (MN):
Two international students recently faced visa revocations. One of the students, Dogukan Gunaydin, a Turkish graduate student, was detained by ICE due to a prior DUI conviction, not activism. He has filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of his arrest and visa termination.
23/ Kent State University (Ohio, USA):
Four international students—one current student and three recent graduates on Optional Practical Training—had their visas revoked by the U.S. government. The reasons for the revocations remain undisclosed, and the university has expressed concern over the lack of transparency and prior notice.
24/ University of Akron (OH)
Two international students recently had their visas revoked, and their SEVIS records were deleted by the Department of Homeland Security. The university confirmed the cases on April 4 but provided no further details about the reasons behind the revocations. Both students are now working with immigration attorneys to address their status.
25/ Ohio State University (OH)
At least five international students had their F-1 visas revoked, as confirmed by university spokesperson Ben Johnson. The reasons for the revocations remain unclear, and the students are still in the U.S., working with attorneys and university officials to determine next steps.
26/ University of Massachusetts Amherst (MA)
Five international students had their visas revoked and student statuses terminated by the federal government this past week. UMass Chancellor Javier Reyes announced the news on April 4, stating that the university was not notified in advance and discovered the revocations through proactive checks in the SEVIS database. The reasons for these actions remain unclear, though similar cases nationwide have been linked to minor infractions or activism.
27/ Central Michigan University (CMU)
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security abruptly terminated the visa records of several current and former international students at CMU without prior notice. The university discovered the terminations during routine checks of the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). Neither CMU nor the affected students were informed beforehand, and no reasons for the revocations have been disclosed.
CMU President Neil MacKinnon called the situation “alarming” and confirmed that the university cannot reverse these decisions or provide legal counsel. Affected students have been advised to seek immigration attorneys for assistance. The university has also designated spaces on campus where ICE agents require judicial warrants to enter.
28/ Universities across Minnesota have reported a growing number of international students having their visas revoked. Schools have not disclosed the reasons behind the revocations, and federal authorities have yet to comment on the situation. Here’s what each school has reported:
▪️ Ridgewater College (Hutchinson and Willmar campuses)
– An international student’s visa was revoked recently.
– Details about the exact timing and reason for the revocation have not been provided by Ridgewater College representatives.
▪️ St. Cloud State University
– A “handful” of international students had their records terminated in the Student Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
– The university is working directly with the affected students to support them, according to university spokespersons.
– Specific details on the timing and reasons behind the terminations have not been disclosed.
▪️ Metropolitan State University (St. Paul)
– One international student’s SEVIS record was terminated.
– It remains unclear whether the student’s visa was also revoked.
– University spokespeople have not provided further details on the timing or reasoning behind the termination.
▪️ University of Minnesota (details noted earlier in thread)
– At least two international students
▪️ Minnesota State University, Mankato (details noted earlier in thread)
– Five international students had their visas revoked.
UPDATE: At least 50 students at Arizona State University have now had their visas revoked. An attorney representing the students, stated that all affected individuals she has worked with are from India, China, or Muslim-majority countries. She thinks the revocations are related to pro-Palestinian protests.
30/ Harvard University:
The student visas of 3 current students and 2 recent graduates were revoked, as confirmed by the Harvard International Office (HIO). The revocations were discovered during a routine records review. Harvard said it did not receive direct notification from immigration authorities and is unaware of the specific reasons for these actions.
31/ University of Michigan
Four international students have had their visas revoked by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, as confirmed by university officials. These students are currently enrolled, and the university has contacted them to discuss potential consequences and available options. One of the affected students has already left the country. The reasons for the revocations remain unclear, though an immigration attorney suggested that minor infractions, such as dismissed legal issues or traffic violations, might be factors.
32/ UC Santa Cruz
Trump administration has revoked the visas of three international students without prior notice. Chancellor Cynthia Larive confirmed the cancellations on Sunday, stating that the federal government provided no details about the reasons behind these actions.
33/ University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Three international students and one former student employed on campus are facing deportation after their immigration statuses were unexpectedly altered. Chancellor Donde Plowman confirmed the changes in an email to the campus community. The alterations were discovered during a university review of the SEVIS database, which tracks international students. Two individuals were flagged due to a judicial diversion for a property offense and a DUI charge, while the reasons for the other two remain unknown.
These changes make the affected individuals ineligible for enrollment or employment at the university.
At Rutgers University, 12 international students recently had their visas terminated, according to an announcement by University President Jonathan Holloway, as reported by The Daily Targum. The reasons for these visa revocations remain unclear, reflecting a broader trend of sudden status changes for international students across U.S. universities.
Rutgers has seen significant pro-Palestinian activism on campus, particularly through the Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP). The group organized a four-day encampment last spring to protest the Israeli genocide. While the protest ended peacefully after negotiations, SJP was later suspended for violating probationary terms. This suspension will last until July 2025.
35/ University of Chicago (UChicago):
Seven students had their F-1 visas revoked, including three current students and four recent graduates. One of the students affected reportedly had received a jaywalking ticket in the past.
36/ Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE):
Eight students, including three undergraduates and five graduate students on Optional Practical Training (OPT) visas, lost their visa status. Another student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale also faced visa cancellation earlier this year.
37/ University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC):
The university confirmed that multiple international students were affected but did not disclose the exact number. UIUC is working with impacted students to provide legal resources and exploring alternative learning options, such as online education, for those forced to leave the U.S..
38/ Northwestern University
Northwestern University has been implicated in the Trump administration’s crackdown on higher education institutions. While specific numbers of visa revocations at Northwestern have not been disclosed, the university is among those targeted due to alleged support for pro-Palestinian protests. The federal government also froze $790 million in funding for Northwestern, primarily affecting grants related to health, education, agriculture, and defense.
39/ University of Utah:
Trump administration has revoked the visas of 18 international students at the University of Utah, including both graduate and undergraduate students, as part of a broader nationwide crackdown. The reasons cited for these include failure to maintain nonimmigrant status and findings from criminal record checks, such as domestic violence allegations or DUIs. Additionally, some records were terminated without prior notice through the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS), leaving students and universities scrambling to respond. University of Utah officials stated that none of their affected students were flagged for protest involvement.
40/ Other Utah schools:
• Utah Tech University: 9 students.
• Southern Utah University: 9 students.
• Weber State University: 5 students.
• Salt Lake Community College: 3 students.
• Utah Valley University: 3 students.
• Snow College: 2 students.
41/ Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
The U.S. government has revoked the visas of two current students and five recent graduates. Their records in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) were also terminated. CMU officials learned about this last week and have since reached out to those affected, offering legal resources and support while safeguarding their privacy.
The reasons for the visa revocations remain unclear.
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1/ Reuters reported Monday on a Pakistani-led framework to end the fighting that had been shared with both Washington and Tehran.
The framework reportedly calls for a temporary ceasefire in exchange for a resumption of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with 15-20 days given to reach a final settlement that would address:
🔹 Iran’s nuclear program
🔹sanctions relief, and
🔹a regional framework for administering the strait.
2/ A senior Iranian official spoke with Drop Site and confirmed that Tehran had received the proposal but reiterated that Iran rejects any agreement based on a temporary ceasefire.
“It is our assessment that the Trump administration, owing to legal constraints within the United States concerning the prosecution of the war as well as the need to maintain control over financial markets, requires a short-term pause in the conflict,” said the official.
He added that Iran would only accept an agreement that ended the war against Iran conclusively, and which could then be used as a basis for broader talks.
President Donald Trump admitted on Sunday that the United States attempted to send weapons to anti-government protesters in Iran earlier this year, speaking in a phone interview with Fox News’ Trey Yingst.
Trump claimed “a lot of guns” were sent “through the Kurds,” but said he believes the weapons never reached demonstrators, suggesting Kurdish intermediaries “kept them.”
He also asserted that “45,000” protesters were “slaughtered” during unrest in January 2026.
That figure is unsubstantiated and widely disputed. Iranian authorities have reported roughly 3,100 deaths, including about 300 police and security personnel.
💢 BREAKING: Coordinated strikes have hit all three of Iran’s largest steel plants simultaneously – Mobarakeh, Esfahan, and Khuzestan – the backbone of the country’s non-oil economy.
Together they produce roughly 70% of Iran’s steel output. Iron and steel is Iran’s second-largest export category at $6.48 billion, its primary hard-currency lifeline outside of oil.
Mobarakeh makes the flat steel used in cars and pipelines. Esfahan produces structural beams and railway rails. Khuzestan supplies the raw slabs that feed factories nationwide.
Steel became Iran’s top non-oil export precisely as a sanction hedge as it is cheap to produce using local ore and natural gas, and a critical source of foreign currency when oil revenues were blocked.
Hitting all three at once targets critical industrial capacity and the economic architecture Iran spent decades building to survive Western pressure.
Fars News shares details on U.S.-Israeli strikes that hit two of Iran’s largest steel facilities around 9:30 a.m. ET
🔶Damage at Mobarakeh Steel (Isfahan):
▪️ Electricity substation hit
▪️ Alloy steel production line damaged
▪️Power Unit
▪️ This is Iran's largest steelmaker, producing over 7 million tons annually. By targeting the electrical substation and power plant, the strike effectively "paralyzed" the facility's high-energy melting operations even if the main buildings remain standing.
▪️ Deputy governor Akbar Salehi said one person was killed and two injured, adding the plant was operating at the time with workers present, per IRNA
🔶Damage at Khuzestan Steel (Ahvaz)
▪️ The strikes hit two storage silos and several warehouses.
▪️Crucially, the blast furnaces (Units 1 and 2) were reported to be undamaged, as they were offline at the time of the attack.
▪️The damage to storage and logistical sheds disrupts the supply chain (billet and slab exports) but leaves the core heavy machinery intact for now.
▪️ Deputy governor Valiollah Hayati said U.S. and Israeli warplanes carried out the attacks, according to Fars
🇨🇴 BREAKING: Colombia to exit ISDS international investment arbitration regime
President Gustavo Petro announced that Colombia will withdraw from the Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) system, following a global call from over 220 economists and legal scholars including Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz and renowned economist Thomas Piketty.
ISDS allows foreign corporations to sue governments in international tribunals over policies that affect their profits, often bypassing domestic courts and exposing states to multi-billion-dollar claims.
“Several countries have already announced or have exited this type of arbitration, including the United States. I don’t see why Colombia shouldn’t do the same,” Petro said.
Colombia has about $14 billion at risk in such cases, Petro said, noting that states often lose these disputes.
“ISDS is bad not just because it puts transnational corporations above the environment and human rights, but because it creates a fast-track legal system that gives them unfair privileges over local businesses and because it grants those corporations ‘license to kill’ government regulations with threats of billion dollar arbitration,” Andrés Arauz of the Center for Economic and Policy Research wrote in a press release.
The move aligns Colombia with countries like South Africa, India, and Indonesia that have also terminated ISDS agreements, and comes ahead of the first-ever Global Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels set to be held in Colombia in April.
📌 Letter from 220 Economists and Legal Scholars to Colombian President Gustavo Petro Calling for Action on ISDS
“Dear President Gustavo Petro Urrego,
We write to you as economists and legal scholars deeply concerned that investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) poses a serious obstacle to building prosperous, equitable, and sustainable societies. As Colombia prepares to co-host the First International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels in Santa Marta from April 24-29, where discussions on ISDS will take the center stage, we urge you to seize the moment by giving effect to your decision to begin removing Colombia from ISDS,[1] and launching a broader alliance of countries committed to unwinding ISDS.
Written into thousands of international trade and investment treaties, including 18 agreements signed by Colombia, ISDS allows foreign corporations to bypass domestic courts and bring legal claims against host governments before special international arbitration tribunals that routinely award vast sums for alleged harms to their investments. ISDS is asymmetrical by design, granting foreign investors expansive protections that are unavailable to domestic businesses or citizens of the host country.
While proponents argue ISDS can protect investors from unfair treatment, in practice it has become a tool through which corporations can challenge non-discriminatory public policies on the basis that they affect corporate profitability, rather than because they discriminate against investors. This dynamic raises significant concerns about states’ ability to regulate freely in the public interest, including in the context of climate action.
The International Court of Justice has affirmed that states have an obligation, based on multiple sources of international law, to address climate change.[2] However, when governments take reasonable steps to address climate change – such as implementing fossil fuel phase-out measures – they have repeatedly been targeted by ISDS claims. For instance, your conference co-host, the Netherlands, is facing cases from ExxonMobil and Shell for closing the Groningen gas field.[3] For a country like Colombia, the risk is concrete. Under your leadership, the government has halted new fossil fuel exploration contracts and advanced an ambitious energy transition agenda[4]. Yet, Colombia has 129 oil and gas projects that are covered by ISDS provisions, exposing the country to claims in the billions of dollars.[5]As a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment warned, ISDS operates as a system for “paying polluters,” effectively requiring states to compensate corporations for complying with climate policies.[6]
ISDS has long been justified as necessary to attract foreign investment and thereby promote economic development. However, empirical evidence does not support any meaningful connection between ISDS commitments and increased investment inflows.[7] Brazil, South America’s largest recipient of foreign investment, has eschewed ISDS.
Colombia has a rare opportunity to scale back ISDS and ensure that it does not stand in the way of its transition away from fossil fuels – and it would not be charting this course alone. Across the world, governments are reassessing investment treaties and stepping back from ISDS. Countries such as South Africa, India, Indonesia, Ecuador, and Bolivia have terminated ISDS-enforced agreements after determining that they were not in their national interests. Even Global North countries that initially pushed ISDS in countless trade and investment agreements have been moving away from the regime. In North America, for example, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement eliminated ISDS between the United States and Canada and significantly narrowed it in relation to Mexico. Within the European Union, member states have terminated their mutual investment treaties, with nearly half also withdrawing from the Energy Charter Treaty, the largest multilateral agreement with ISDS, over concerns about its protection of fossil fuel investments.
Because ISDS is mostly treaty-based, durable reform cannot be purely unilateral. It requires coordination among states that recognize the structural contradiction between expansive investor protections and the rapid decarbonization demanded by science and international law. The Santa Marta conference provides a unique platform to initiate such coordination. By coupling Colombia’s domestic review of ISDS with an invitation to other governments to explore collective disengagement, you could help catalyze a coalition of countries working towards a world free of ISDS.
We urge you to use Colombia’s historic hosting of the First International Conference on Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels as an opportunity to initiate steps toward withdrawing from ISDS and to galvanize coordinated international action, leaving a lasting legacy for others to follow.”
1/ An Israeli indictment alleges an Iron Dome reservist secretly worked for Iranian intelligence, passing along locations of air bases, missile defense systems, and potential recruits for months, in exchange for payment.
A new Drop Site News investigation reveals this is not an isolated case, but part of a growing covert campaign inside Israel. ⬇️🧵
2/ In a major report, Jeremy Scahill and Murtaza Hussain detail Iran’s expanding effort to recruit Israelis and carry out influence and espionage operations from within.
The investigation is based on internal Iranian intelligence materials and direct interviews with officials.
——
📸 An Iranian man walks under a display featuring a logo of Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence in the historic city of Isfahan, Iran, on February 20, 2025. Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images.
3/ According to the indictment, the suspect knowingly maintained contact with Iranian handlers and carried out tasks under their direction.
Prosecutors say he transferred sensitive security information and helped identify additional individuals for recruitment, pointing to network-building inside Israel.
Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a senior member of the Ansar Allah (Houthi) political bureau announced on March 14 that they are aligned militarily with Iran, and signaled that a “Zero Hour”—a coordinated campaign of military operations—could be declared soon.

In a televised speech on March 5, the movement’s leader Abdul-Malik al-Houthi stated, “Regarding military escalation and action, our fingers are on the trigger at any moment should developments warrant it.”
Oil tanker traffic is increasingly diverting toward Saudi terminals in the Red Sea as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily restricted, according to shipping data shared by energy analyst Javier Blas.
Bloomberg reported earlier that at least 50 supertankers were heading to Yanbu to collect crude oil.
Export flows through Yanbu have already surged to approximately 2.7 million barrels a day, and Saudi Aramco said it is aiming to reach a full daily capacity of 5 million to 7 million barrels through its East-West pipeline.
Although the route avoids the Strait of Hormuz, the tankers sailing from Yanbu still face risks from Houthi fighters in the southern Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
🗺️ Photo: Container shipping routes to Europe and North America in January 2024, two months after the Houthi movement began targeting vessels in the Red Sea.
U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright said today the crisis “will definitely come to an end in the next few weeks,” possibly even sooner, but acknowledged there are “no guarantees in wars at all” about when fighting will stop or gas prices will fall.
Wright also argued the war is necessary to “defang” the Iranian regime and remove long-term threats to global energy supplies.