Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser says pressure on global oil markets will keep building until the Strait of Hormuz reopens, and that refilling the world's strategic stockpiles after reopening could take as long as two years.

The remarks frame a supply problem with two clocks: an immediate chokepoint risk at the waterway carrying roughly a fifth of global oil trade, and a slower structural deficit in government-held inventories drawn down to buffer the disruption.

What did the Aramco CEO say?

Nasser laid out three linked warnings in comments reported by Newsquawk:

• Oil market pressure will worsen and persist until the Strait of Hormuz reopens to tanker traffic.
• Once the strait does reopen, rebuilding global oil stockpiles to pre-closure levels could take up to two years.
• Coordinated releases from global stockpiles provide only temporary relief and cannot substitute for restored flows through the chokepoint.

The two-year refill estimate matters for refiners and traders because it implies tightness in the physical market outlasts the geopolitical event itself. Even after transit normalizes, producer spare capacity will be absorbed replacing barrels pulled from reserves rather than fully rebuilding commercial flexibility.

Why do stockpile releases fall short?

Strategic releases work as a bridge, not a fix. Inventories are finite: every barrel released to calm prices is a barrel that must eventually be repurchased and returned to storage. Nasser's point is that the release volumes available to governments can offset a chokepoint outage only for a limited window before drawdowns accelerate and remaining cover thins.

For downstream operators, the calculation is direct. Refiners dependent on Gulf crude grades face a choice between paying up for alternative barrels or cutting runs as released stockpile volumes — skewed toward sour crude in most national reserves — work through the system.

What is the watch item?

The single variable driving every forecast in this story is the reopening date for the Strait of Hormuz. Until tanker transits resume at normal rates, Nasser's assessment implies continued upward pressure on crude prices and refining margins, followed by a multi-year replenishment cycle that keeps the market tighter than headline supply numbers suggest.

Watch for statements on strait transit status, the pace of coordinated reserve releases, and any producer guidance on how refill purchases will be phased once the channel reopens.