Middle East Oil Production Plunges Since March Due To Iran War, OPEC Data Shows

Last Updated:April 14, 2026, 09:33 IST

Overall, OPEC’s production plunged 27 percent month over month from 28.7 million barrels per day to 20.8 million barrels per day.

Amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East, crude oil production in the major Gulf Arab exporters plunged massively in March, according to data released by OPEC on Monday.

As per the data, Iraq saw the steepest decline, with production dropping 61 percent from 4.2 million barrels per day in February to 1.6 million barrels per day in March. Kuwait’s output fell by 53 percent, while the United Arab Emirates recorded a 44 percent month-on-month decline.

Saudi Arabia, the largest producer in OPEC, cut production by 23 percent, from 10.1 million barrels per day to 7.8 million barrels per day. The kingdom has been relying on its East-West pipeline to divert oil from the Persian Gulf to the Red Sea for exports.

However, the pipeline — capable of carrying 7 million barrels per day — was recently targeted in an attack by Iran, reducing its capacity by 700,000 barrels per day, according to Saudi state media.

Overall, OPEC’s production plunged 27 percent month over month from 28.7 million barrels per day to 20.8 million barrels per day, according to the data.

Due to the war in Iran, the Gulf Arab states have cut production because they are unable to export through the Strait of Hormuz, which connects the Gulf to global energy markets, as Tehran has blocked the passage.

In view of the current situation, it will take a few months for the Gulf Arab states to bring production back up to full capacity, said Sheikh Nawaf al-Sabah, the CEO of Kuwait Petroleum Corp, CNBC reported.

“We have resilient reservoirs that bring out quite a bit of production immediately — within a few days," the CEO said at the CERAWeek by S&P Global conference on March 24.

“The bulk of it will come within a few weeks, and then the full production will come within three or four months," he added.

Meanwhile, Iran’s production dropped around 5 percent from 3.24 million barrels per day to 3.06 million barrels per day month over month, according to OPEC. The Islamic Republic has continued to export through the Strait during the war.

However, Iran is now facing a blockade after peace talks with the US failed to produce an agreement over the weekend.

President Donald Trump has ordered the US Navy to block all maritime traffic in and out of Iran’s ports starting at 10 am ET on Monday.

News world Middle East Oil Production Plunges Since March Due To Iran War, OPEC Data Shows

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