Overview
Shipping movements through the Strait of Hormuz fell sharply on Wednesday, with only seven vessels recorded passing the waterway, according to shipping data. That count represents a decline from 13 vessels noted the previous day and comes on the first day after the U.S. reimposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports while both countries have been exchanging strikes across the Gulf.
Transit patterns and vessel types
The majority of the seven transits on Wednesday followed the Iranian route. Data show four empty vessels entered the Gulf on Wednesday, comprised of three small oil tankers and a dry bulk carrier carrying grains. Of the three vessels that left the strait on Wednesday, their cargoes were liquefied petroleum gas, coal and fuel oil.
Notably, there were no Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) or liquefied natural gas (LNG) tankers recorded as passing through the strait on Wednesday.
Context provided by recent movements
On Tuesday, data indicated a Suezmax tanker departed the strait carrying 1 million barrels of Saudi crude with its transponder switched off. Hostilities have intensified since Iran said late on Saturday that it had closed the Strait of Hormuz. The data attribute the lower traffic levels to military operations that are preventing ships from transiting the waterway.
Energy and trade significance
The Strait of Hormuz previously carried about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments before the war. The current reduction in vessel movements and the absence of large crude and LNG carriers underscore constrained passage through a waterway that is significant to global energy flows.
Observations
- Wednesday saw a drop in overall vessel transits to seven, down from 13 the previous day.
- Four empty ships entered the Gulf on Wednesday; three exited carrying LPG, coal and fuel oil.
- There were no VLCCs or LNG tankers recorded transiting the strait on Wednesday.
- Military operations and intensified hostilities are cited as reasons ships are being kept from traveling through the waterway.
Data referenced in this report reflect shipping movements and descriptions as recorded for the days described.