Region’s fuel pumps dry up amid Iran conflict as governments seek options

A fuel station attendant at Rubis Koinange Service Station, Nairobi, on March 25, 2026.

Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group

Despite a spike in vessel visits due to blockage of shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, region receives no petroleum-carrying tankers

East African economies are holding a few weeks’ fuel stocks as the Iran war blocks shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, and key regional ports, despite having a spike in vessel visits, receive no petroleum-carrying tankers.