Strait of Hormuz Shipping Slows Sharply after Tanker Attacks as Maritime Security Risks Intensify
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed sharply over the weekend following attacks on tankers, according to ship-tracking data, as U.S.-Iran talks aimed at resolving the wider Middle East conflict stalled.
Kpler data showed that five commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, while no transits were registered on Sunday, compared with 31 commodity-vessel transits during the previous weekend. The figures indicate a significant decline in commercial vessel movements through the strategically important waterway.
Among the vessels entering the strait on Saturday was an empty very large crude carrier (VLCC) with its Automatic Identification System (AIS) switched off. An Indian-flagged very large gas carrier also entered through the Iranian route, while a small tanker carrying Iranian fuel oil was recorded exiting the waterway, Kpler data showed.
Shipping activity appeared to move toward a near standstill after the United Arab Emirates said that three vessels operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) had been attacked while in transit last week. The incidents have added to concerns over vessel safety and maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States has said it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Washington would have to meet Iran’s conditions regarding the Strait of Hormuz before shipping could resume.
Although some vessels may continue to pass through the strait without being detected because their AIS transponders are switched off, current shipping activity remains far below the level recorded before the war. More than 130 ships a day traversed the Strait of Hormuz before the war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran in February.
The decline is particularly significant for global energy shipping because the Strait of Hormuz handled about one-fifth of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war. Any prolonged reduction in vessel traffic through the waterway could therefore have wider implications for international energy transportation and maritime trade.
Maritime Analysis: Hormuz Traffic Decline Highlights Rising Operational Risk
The latest vessel-tracking figures show how quickly maritime traffic can decline when security risks increase around a major shipping chokepoint. The Strait of Hormuz has not been completely closed, but the sharp reduction in tracked commercial movements suggests that security conditions are becoming an increasingly important factor for ship operators and other maritime stakeholders.
AIS limitations should also be considered when assessing the figures because vessels operating with their transponders switched off may not appear in tracking data. However, the difference between the latest weekend traffic and the previous weekend provides a clear indication of a substantial reduction in tracked shipping activity.
The situation also demonstrates the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz to the global maritime economy. Because the waterway previously carried a major share of global crude oil and LNG shipments, sustained disruption could affect tanker movements and energy supply chains beyond the immediate region.
Bab el-Mandeb Shipping Also Declines
Shipping activity also decreased at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, according to Kpler data. The waterway recorded 49 weekend transits by commodity vessels, compared with 55 during the previous week. No Saudi oil shipments were tracked.
The decline follows the July 20 declaration by Yemen’s Houthis of a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia, adding another security concern around an important maritime corridor.
For the shipping industry, developments in both the Strait of Hormuz and Bab el-Mandeb remain significant because vessel movements through these strategic waterways are closely linked to regional security conditions. Continued changes in traffic levels will remain important indicators of the operational environment facing commercial shipping in the region.
Read: ADNOC Vessel Attacked Again in Strait of Hormuz as Maritime Security Risks Escalate
