Strait of Hormuz: Vessel traffic drops further

The number of ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz has continued to fall, with only seven vessels recorded transiting the vital waterway on Thursday. This significant drop, half the number from the previous day, highlights persistent fears among shipowners regarding navigation in the region.

Data from Kpler indicates that four ships entered the Strait of Hormuz and three exited. Notably, there were no supertankers or LNG carriers among the vessels. A single large gas carrier transporting propane and butane did pass through via the Iranian route.

This decline in traffic at Hormuz mirrors a similar trend at the Bab el-Mandeb strait, where 23 cargo ships transited on Thursday, down from 34 over the preceding two days. Sixteen ships entered and seven departed, including two medium-sized oil tankers. Before regional tensions escalated, daily traffic through Hormuz typically ranged between 130 and 140 vessels, underscoring the dramatic impact of current concerns on global shipping routes.