Sultan Al Jaber, Group CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), has sharply criticised restrictions on transit through the Strait of Hormuz, saying current conditions amount to coercion rather than lawful navigation.
“The Strait of Hormuz is not open. Access is being restricted, conditioned and controlled,” he said.
Pointing to Iran, Al Jaber added: “Iran has made clear — through both its statements and actions — that passage is subject to permission, conditions and political leverage. That is not freedom of navigation. That is coercion.”
He stressed that transit through the waterway is protected under international law and should not be subject to approval.
“The Strait was not built… by any state. It is a natural passage governed by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which guarantees transit as a matter of right; not a privilege to be granted.”
Al Jaber warned that restrictions are already disrupting flows, with cargoes unable to move freely through the corridor.
“Conditional passage is not passage. It is control by another name.”
He said the stakes are high, noting that more than 20% of globally traded energy passes through the strait.
“The Strait must be open — fully, unconditionally and without restriction. Energy security and global economic stability depend on it.”
Highlighting the scale of disruption, he added: “An estimated 230 vessels sit loaded with oil and ready to sail.”
ADNOC has cargoes prepared and is working to increase output, but Al Jaber said restoring transit remains critical.
“We have a responsibility… to move them, as long as the safety of our people is ensured.”
He also pointed to a growing disconnect between paper and physical markets.
“This is where the paper traded markets are meeting physical reality, and the 40-day gap in global energy flows is truly exposed.”
The impact is expected to fall heavily on Asian buyers.
“This is particularly urgent for Asia, where 80% of these cargoes are bound.”
Al Jaber warned that delays are compounding market pressure.
“Every day the Strait remains restricted, the consequences compound. Supply is delayed, markets tighten, prices rise. Every day matters.”
