Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has fallen to its lowest level in months as the escalating conflict between the United States and Iran continues to disrupt one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
According to shipping data reviewed by Reuters, only three commodity vessels passed through the strategic waterway on Thursday, marking the lowest daily traffic recorded since May.
The decline follows renewed Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and the reimposition of a US blockade targeting Iran-linked shipping, prompting many vessels to delay their journeys or reverse course.
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital route for a significant share of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, has experienced a sharp reduction in maritime activity, increasing concerns over the stability of international energy markets.
Data from Kpler showed that Miraan, a sanctioned fuel oil tanker, and Norita, a liquefied petroleum gas carrier, exited the strait through Iranian waters before stopping in the Gulf of Oman, where the US naval blockade remains in force.
Another vessel, Arolia, a bunkering tanker transporting Iraqi fuel oil for refuelling ships at sea, reportedly turned back into the Gulf just hours after leaving the strait, according to LSEG shipping data.
The slowdown has been significant. Only 11 vessels transited the waterway on Wednesday, compared with the pre-conflict daily average of about 125 ships. For the second consecutive day, no Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) or LNG tankers were recorded passing through the strait.
However, vessel tracking data later showed two VLCCs carrying about two million barrels of crude oil each outside the strait.
Shipping records indicate that Colombia Prosperity, carrying Saudi crude oil, is bound for Okinawa, Japan, while Costa Rica Prosperity, loaded with Iraqi Basra Medium crude, is heading to Turkey.
There were slight discrepancies in shipping records, with Kpler reporting the vessels crossed the strait on July 13, while S&P Global Energy indicated they exited on July 14.
Elsewhere, Iraq temporarily suspended oil loading operations at its Basra export terminal after a drone strike hit an oil tanker, according to Iraqi oil and security officials. Export activities later resumed.
Adding to market concerns, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) declared that no oil or gas shipments would pass through the Strait of Hormuz for as long as US military strikes continue, according to Iran’s Tasnim News Agency.
Tehran has also reportedly warned that it could encourage Yemen’s Houthi rebels to target the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, another key global shipping route at the southern entrance to the Red Sea, if Washington expands its military campaign against Iranian infrastructure.
The escalating tensions have heightened fears of further disruptions to global shipping and energy supplies, with analysts warning that prolonged instability in the region could have far-reaching consequences for international oil markets and global trade.
