On Thursday, the Strait of Hormuz experienced a notable decline in shipping activity, as escalating tensions between the United States and Iran disrupted this vital corridor for global energy trade. Only three commodity vessels navigated the strategic waterway, marking the lowest level of daily traffic since May. The decreased movement comes as ships are either postponing their trips or retracing their steps due to rising security threats, following recent attacks on commercial vessels and increased military tensions in the area.
This significant reduction in traffic has sparked concerns about potential impacts on global energy supplies, given the Strait of Hormuz’s role in handling a large portion of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas exports. The disruption has also contributed to an increase in global oil prices. Some vessels that managed to traverse the strait later paused in the Gulf of Oman, while a fuel tanker reversed its course, returning to the Persian Gulf after briefly exiting.
The slowdown on Thursday followed an already sluggish day on Wednesday, when only 11 vessels crossed the strait, a stark contrast to the usual daily average of approximately 125 ships. Large crude oil tankers and liquefied natural gas carriers were particularly absent for the second day in a row. Despite the reduced activity, two very large crude carriers, each transporting around two million barrels of oil, eventually re-emerged outside the strait and proceeded toward their destinations in Asia and Europe.
Adding to the regional tensions, Iraq temporarily halted oil loading operations at its Basra export terminal after a drone strike targeted an oil tanker, though operations later resumed. Meanwhile, Iran has issued warnings that oil and gas exports through the Strait of Hormuz could continue to face disruptions if military actions persist, heightening fears of further instability in global energy markets.