After the U.S. strikes on Iran, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has nearly come to a standstill
On Thursday, July 9, ship traffic through the strategically important Strait of Hormuz dropped sharply following new U.S. strikes against Iran. The number of ships in the area fell to one of the lowest levels in recent times.
Due to the escalating situation in the region, only 14 ships passed through the strait—the lowest level since the temporary peace agreement was signed.
According to vessel tracking systems, most of the notable traffic in the world’s most critical energy corridor occurred along the route approved by Iran, closer to the northern part of the strait.
Among the large vessels in the strait, only one supertanker subject to U.S. sanctions—which was leaving the Persian Gulf—and one container ship flying the Iranian flag were spotted. However, it cannot be ruled out that some vessels may be crossing the strait with their transponders turned off, the report states.
The decrease in traffic followed a series of Iranian attacks on ships, which prompted U.S. strikes, and President Donald Trump also declared that the truce with Iran had ended. On Wednesday, about 14 vessels carrying commodities crossed the strait in both directions.
This is the lowest number since a temporary peace agreement was reached in mid-June. While the passage of liquefied natural gas tankers through the strait remained suspended, two empty vessels recently entered the Gulf of Oman and are heading toward the eastern entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, the report states.
This was reported by Bloomberg.
The U.S. may unfreeze $100 billion for Iran in exchange for access to the Strait of Hormuz — WSJ.
Iran has set new conditions for the U.S. to continue negotiations — Reuters.
As a reminder, on June 26, global oil prices fell by about 2% due to an increase in the number of tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Exports of mineral fertilizers through the Strait of Hormuz have shown rapid growth, bringing supply volumes to the global market back to levels recorded before the military escalation began.
