Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply, with only four commodity vessels transiting the strategic waterway as tensions between the United States and Iran continue to escalate, raising fresh concerns over global energy supplies and international trade.
According to shipping analytics firm Kpler, only four vessels passed through the vital chokepoint on Monday, down from seven recorded on Sunday, with most of the remaining traffic linked to Iranian trade routes.
The limited traffic included two outbound tankers—one carrying petrochemicals and another travelling empty—while an oil tanker and a bitumen carrier entered the strait.
Notably, there were no Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) or Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carriers recorded in transit, highlighting growing concerns among shipping operators over security in the region.
The situation worsened after Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who are aligned with Iran, announced a naval blockade targeting Saudi Arabia, a move that could further disrupt international shipping and global oil markets.
According to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a commercial tanker sailing through the Strait of Hormuz issued a distress alert after reportedly being struck by an unidentified weapon.
The incident came a day after Dynacom Tankers reported that two of its vessels were hit by unidentified projectiles off the coast of Oman, underscoring the increasing risks facing commercial shipping in the region.
The security threats have also spread beyond the Middle East. A third tanker was reportedly struck by a drone while at Russia’s Novorossiysk CPC terminal on the Black Sea, raising concerns that attacks on commercial shipping are expanding across multiple regions.
The sharp decline in vessel movements through the Strait of Hormuz—a critical route for global oil exports—has intensified fears of further disruptions to international supply chains as geopolitical tensions continue to rise.
