Ship Traffic Plummets in Strait of Hormuz After Iranian Attacks... Zero Vessels on the 16th

Ship Traffic Plummets from 31 on Previous Weekend to Just 5 on the 15th
More Than 130 Ships Passed Daily Before the War

Key Route for Oil and LNG Shipments

Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has effectively come to a halt following a series of attacks on oil tankers by Iran.

According to Reuters on the 17th (local time), vessel tracking firm Kpler reported that only five cargo ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz on the 15th, and none on the 16th. The previous weekend, 31 ships had traversed the strait.

Naval vessel sailing through the Strait of Hormuz. AFP

There may be more vessels than officially counted, as some are operating with their Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders turned off. However, before the war between the United States, Israel, and Iran began in February, more than 130 ships a day transited the strait.

The sharp decrease in ship traffic occurred after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced last week that three vessels operated by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) had been attacked. The UAE identified Iran as responsible for the attacks.

With peace negotiations between the United States and Iran stalled, the United States continues to exert pressure by stating that it can indefinitely maintain the maritime blockade against Iran. Iran, on the other hand, insists that the United States must accept its demands, including compensation for war damages, in order for ship traffic to resume.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key shipping route, carrying about one-fifth of the world's maritime oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments prior to the war.

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