Commercial shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz slowed on Wednesday as military tensions between the United States and Iran continued to disrupt one of the world’s busiest energy corridors.
Shipping data showed that only seven vessels transited the strategic waterway during the day, compared with 13 recorded a day earlier. Most of the traffic used the Iranian side of the channel.
The decline comes after Iran announced over the weekend that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States reinstated a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports. The escalating military confrontation has significantly affected maritime operations in the Gulf.
According to vessel-tracking data, four ships entered the Gulf on Wednesday, comprising three small oil tankers and a dry bulk carrier transporting grain. Three vessels departed through the strait, carrying liquefied petroleum gas, coal and fuel oil.
On Tuesday, a Suezmax tanker transporting about one million barrels of Saudi crude oil reportedly passed through the strait with its tracking transponder switched off.
No Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers were recorded transiting the waterway on Wednesday, highlighting the impact of the heightened security risks on global shipping.
