As military clashes between the United States and Iran resume, shipping traffic through the Hormuz Strait, a critical route for global energy transport, has significantly decreased.
Bloomberg reported on July 8, citing vessel tracking data, that "traffic through the Hormuz Strait has nearly come to a standstill." Most observed vessel movements occurred in Iranian-approved routes near the northern part of the strait, while the route supported by the U.S. toward Oman remained quiet.
Only two large vessels were tracked: one supertanker subject to U.S. sanctions leaving the Persian Gulf and one Iranian-flagged container ship. However, some vessels may have passed through the strait with their location signals turned off.
On the previous day, only 14 cargo ships traversed the Hormuz Strait in both directions, marking the lowest level since a temporary agreement was reached in mid-June. During the three weeks following that agreement, the average daily traffic of cargo ships was 34, peaking at 59 on June 24.
Considering that traffic through the strait had mostly remained below 20 vessels on many days during the conflict, the situation has reverted to near wartime levels. The passage of liquefied natural gas (LNG) carriers also remains halted. Bloomberg noted, "However, two empty LNG carriers have recently entered the Gulf of Oman, heading toward the eastern entrance of the Hormuz Strait, raising questions about the potential resumption of traffic."
Signs of electronic disruption have also reemerged. In waters southeast of Oman, some vessels were reported to be moving abnormally fast, at over 30 knots. Bloomberg explained that air defense and anti-drone systems could be affecting the location signals of the vessels.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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