Only four ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz in a single day
Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped sharply. On September 15, only four ships crossed the waterway—two entered the strait, and two more exited it. By comparison, there were seven ships the day before, and the average for the previous 10 days was 18.
None of the ships that passed through the strait were supertankers carrying crude oil or gas carriers. Three ships took the northern route through waters controlled by Iran. Another one traveled along an unidentified “shadow” route.
At the same time, the actual volume of traffic may be higher, as some vessels turn off their transponders, which allow their location to be tracked.
Before the U.S. and Israel went to war against Iran, approximately 125 large commercial vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz daily. About one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas was transported via this route.
The decline in shipping traffic is already affecting the global oil market. On September 15–16, the price of oil exceeded $105 per barrel—the highest level in the past four months. Over the course of the week, prices rose by about 9%.
The decline in global oil reserves is creating additional pressure. According to the EIA, reserves have fallen by approximately 400 million barrels since the beginning of the year. Importing countries, particularly in Asia, are already drawing on their own reserves to compensate for supply disruptions, but these reserves are gradually dwindling.
Source: Radio Free Europe
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated during a hearing before the House Financial Services Committee that the United States is conducting “the most extensive campaign of economic isolation in history” against Iran and those who support it. According to him, this pressure is having an increasingly noticeable impact on the Iranian economy.
In the U.S., Vice President J.D. Vance stated that the war with Iran “will enter a significantly different phase” in a few months. He made this remark in an interview with the New York Post aboard Air Force Two.
