Only 13 Vessels Pass Through Hormuz on First Day of US Resuming Iranian Port Blockade

Over 130 Vessels Passed Daily Before the War

Since the United States Navy resumed its blockade of Iranian ports, the number of vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz has decreased from 21 to 13.

On July 16 (local time), The New York Times, citing shipping data provider Kpler, reported that only 13 vessels passed through the strait on July 14 and 15. The U.S. military officially resumed the blockade operation at 20:00 UTC (11:30 p.m. Iranian time, 4:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time) on July 14.

With the United States imposing a maritime blockade, Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz is expected to weaken, making it even more difficult for Iran to sell its oil. U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) announced on July 15 that, since resuming the maritime blockade of Iranian ports 17 hours earlier, the U.S. Navy had turned back two commercial vessels attempting to cross the blockade line. According to Kpler, of the 13 ships that passed through the strait on July 15, 5 were subject to sanctions.

As the power struggle between the United States and Iran over control of the Strait of Hormuz continues, uncertainty over oil transportation is growing. Before the war began, the Strait of Hormuz was a transit point for one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas shipments, with an average of about 130 commercial vessels passing through it each day.

With the resumption of the blockade, there is a possibility that oil prices will rise even higher than during the first blockade. At the end of April, during the first blockade, international oil prices surged to nearly $120 per barrel. Ben May, Director of Global Macro Research at Oxford Economics, assessed that while neither the United States nor Iran wants the Strait to be completely closed, neither seems willing to make any significant concessions, making prolonged tensions inevitable.

He predicted, "As a result, shipping companies will restrict or halt voyages through the strait, and Gulf countries will redouble efforts to diversify their shipping routes. Ultimately, the strategic importance of this strait will diminish."

Oil prices have begun to react as well. On July 16, Brent crude traded near $84 per barrel. On the same day, the average diesel price in the U.S. rose by $0.07 from the previous day, surpassing $5 per gallon again. This is a 33% increase compared to before the Iran war.

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