"Strait of Hormuz Ship Traffic Plunges 70%" [US-Iran War]

NYT: "Ship Traffic Fell to Less Than One-Third on Day of Airstrikes"

The New York Times reported that on February 28 (local time), when Israel and the United States attacked Iran, the number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz plummeted to less than one-third of usual levels.

Citing a senior official from Kpler, the parent company of maritime tracking information provider MarineTraffic, the NYT stated, "As of late that night, vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had dropped by 70%."

Aerial photo of the Strait of Hormuz. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News Agency

The official explained that "Saudi Arabia, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar were exposed to the greatest risk," noting that more than half of their seaborne crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports are transported via the Strait of Hormuz.

However, according to vessel route tracking data from both MarineTraffic and another data provider, Pole Star Global, some ships did proceed through the Strait of Hormuz that day despite the situation.

According to TankerTrackers.com, a site that monitors global oil shipping, there were 55 oil tankers remaining in Iranian waters; of these, 18 were loaded with crude oil, while the remaining 37 were anchored and empty.

On the day of the airstrike, the Iranian military announced that it had warned vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz that "it is currently unsafe." This has been interpreted as a sign that Iran may implement a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. However, it appears unlikely that Iran will be able to enforce a complete blockade, and based on precedent, some observers anticipate selective seizures or attacks instead.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.