OPEC+ stumbles: can 188000 barrels calm markets or trigger oil chaos

It is reported that the US has now begun exporting more than 5.5 million barrels of oil per day post-Hormuz Blockade, compared to around 3.5 million barrels per day in 2025. Given that oil prices in the global market are skyrocketing, the US, as Trump claims, is heavily benefiting from the war with Iran by diverting Persian Gulf oil supplies to the US. However, this claim does not get reflected in the American energy market, as fuel prices in the US continue to spike.

For the US, the UAE’s unexpected exit from OPEC may be a masterstroke to neutralise the Iran-imposed blockade in the Strait of Hormuz. As the control over this strait is the central point of discussion in the peace talks, the UAE’s exit from OPEC and its possible search for an alternative to bypass the Strait of Hormuz through a land-based pipeline to connect the Indian Ocean via Fujairah.

The Emirati officials alleged that the OPEC’s quota system for oil production and exports was not pro-UAE. Its exit from this bloc will now allow the UAE to export oil as much as it wishes, depending on the global oil market demand and supply dynamics. As there is a race to become the driving force of growth in the Gulf, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been competing with each other for years.