Early ship-tracking data published on Thursday indicates that commodity vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to three ships on Wednesday, down from approximately 12 on Tuesday and well below the 10-day average of about 17.
The figures exclude any vessels that navigated the waterway with their Automatic Identification System transponders deactivated to avoid detection.
According to Kpler shipping data as of 04:45 GMT, two of the three recorded vessels—an unladen Supramax dry bulk carrier and an unladen petroleum product tanker—entered the strait via the Iranian route and a dark channel, respectively.
The data showed that a Panamax tanker exited the channel via a dark route.
Vessel traffic declined during the week amid escalating conflict in the Gulf, as Saudi Arabian aircraft bombarded targets in Yemen while Houthi forces launched rockets and drones at Saudi cities.
The Houthis’ rapid advance along the Red Sea coast in Yemen, coupled with strikes on Saudi Arabia and damage to the kingdom’s East-West oil pipeline, expanded Tehran’s influence in the conflict and heightened threats to global oil supply routes.
Meanwhile, vessel transits through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the Red Sea fell to 21 on Wednesday, down from 24 recorded the previous day.
Backstory…
The latest collapse in shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz follows a rapid escalation in maritime and energy-security concerns over the past week.
On September 12, Saudi Arabia temporarily shut its 1,200-kilometre East-West oil pipeline after an aerial attack. Riyadh said the attack originated from Iraq, while the shutdown removed one of the key alternative routes used to move Saudi crude without passing through Hormuz.
A day later, on Sunday, September 13, maritime tracking and security agencies received reports that a vessel had been attacked in or near the Strait of Hormuz.
Reports said a projectile struck an Iranian container ship, killing a crew member and injuring others.
Read Also: Fresh Hormuz Ship Attack Sparks Fears Over Global Oil Supplies
