Thursday 24 September 2026 · Edition of the day

Current editionPast editions →

The Skeptic's Daily

The day's biggest stories, taken apart. For each one: what is actually established, what is only asserted, the questions worth asking — and a plausibility score for the central claim, given everything currently known.

Stories
1
Average plausibility
74%
How to read the score
It rates how well the core claim is evidenced — not how important the story is, nor whether it is good or bad news.
RegionAllGlobalAfricaNorth AmericaSouth AmericaAsia-PacificEuropeMiddle East
TopicAllPoliticsConflict & SecurityBusinessScienceHealth
01BusinessMiddle East

Saudi Arabia sells nearly 100 million barrels to Asian buyers to ease a supply crunch

Exports through the Strait of Hormuz rose after an attack left a key bypass pipeline only partly working.

Saudi Arabia sold almost 100 million barrels of crude to Asian buyers in about a week, traders told Bloomberg — roughly one day of global demand. Aramco's East-West pipeline, attacked on 10 September, remains only partly operational, forcing more reliance on Hormuz routes. Chinese, Indian, Japanese and South Korean refiners were among buyers.

What holds up

  • ✓The pipeline was attacked on 10 September and has not been fully restored.
  • ✓Traders report a substantial increase in Saudi sales to Asia.

What doesn't yet

  • ?Volumes and buyer breakdown come from traders, not Aramco disclosures.
  • ?Whether this averts or merely delays a supply crunch is judgment.

Ask before you share

  • →How much spare capacity remains if repairs are delayed?
  • →How are Iranian flows affecting Asian sourcing?
  • →How exposed are extra Hormuz shipments to further attacks?

Sources & original reporting

  1. [1]The National · Published 24 Sept 2026 · thenationalnews.com
  2. [2]Philadelphia Inquirer / AP · Published 24 Sept 2026 · inquirer.com