Shipping through Strait of Hormuz falls to lowest level in several weeks

Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz fell on Sunday to its lowest level in several weeks, according to shipping data, as renewed exchanges of strikes between the United States and Iran and attacks on vessels heightened safety concerns.

Vessel tracking data from Kpler showed that only six ships passed through the strait on Sunday, the lowest daily total in five weeks.

The vessels included the very large crude carrier Humanity, carrying two million barrels of Iranian crude oil, and the tanker Capetan Andreas, transporting about 500,000 barrels of Kuwaiti refined oil products. Three empty tankers also entered the Gulf to load crude oil. Most tankers switched off their transponders while passing through the strait.

The tracking data showed no liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers entering the strait at the start of the week.

Kpler also reported that only one tanker operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) left the strait between 10 and 12 July, heading for the Indian port of Dahej.

The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said on Sunday that its forces had completed another wave of strikes against Iran, targeting dozens of sites at multiple locations with precision-guided munitions.

US President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the Strait of Hormuz remained open to commercial shipping, despite Iran’s earlier announcement that it had closed the waterway after a vessel travelled on an unauthorised route and came under attack.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said on Monday that its naval forces had stopped two vessels in the Strait of Hormuz overnight by disabling their systems. The IRGC did not identify the two ships.

READ: Iran says latest US strikes “rendered futile” months of diplomatic efforts