Hormuz Traffic Plummets Amid Rising US-Iran Tensions
According to shipping data, the number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz plummeted to multi-week lows on Sunday as worries about safety increased due to attacks on ships in West Asia and fresh strikes between the US and Iran. On Sunday, six vessels transited the strait, according to ship-tracking data, marking the lowest number recorded in five weeks. Tankers that departed the strait comprised the Very Large Crude Carrier Humanity, which was loaded with 2 million barrels of Iranian oil, alongside another vessel, Capetan Andreas, transporting approximately 500,000 barrels of Kuwaiti oil products, according to the data.
Concurrently, three empty tankers made their way into the Gulf to take on oil. Most of the tankers deactivated their transponders while navigating through the strait. Over the weekend, ship-tracking data indicated that there were no liquefied natural gas tankers that entered the strait. One tanker managed by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co departed the strait between July 10 and July 12, according to data. The vessel is en route to Dahej port in India. US forces executed a series of strikes against Iran on Sunday, targeting numerous locations with precision munitions, according to Central Command.
US President Donald Trump stated on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to commercial traffic, despite Iran’s earlier declaration of its closure following an incident where a vessel was struck while travelling on an unapproved route. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards announced on Monday that their navy intercepted two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz the previous night by disabling their systems. It did not specify the vessels involved.
