Strait of Hormuz vessel count hits one-week low as attacks persist
Vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz fell to eight ships on Tuesday, a one-week low, as owners steer clear amid ongoing Middle East hostilities.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped to its lowest level in a week, according to vessel tracking data, as owners continue to avoid the critical waterway amid sustained hostilities in the Middle East.
On Tuesday, only eight ships were tracked inside the strait, down from a 10-day average of roughly 12 vessels. That marks the lowest daily count since August 5, data from Kpler showed. Of those eight, just one — a coal carrier — was exiting the strait, while the remaining seven were still transiting. All seven entering vessels took the Iranian route.
Separate data from LSEG recorded 11 transits on Tuesday, down from 14 the previous day. Before the closure of the waterway in late February, following the start of U.S.-Israeli attacks, the strait typically saw between 130 and 140 ships pass through daily.
The decline comes as the United States and Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis reported separate attacks, with prospects for an end to the conflict appearing dim. Tehran has said the strait will remain closed unless Washington accepts its conditions.
Meanwhile, traffic at the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea remained comparatively steady, with 30 vessels crossing on Tuesday — above the 10-day average of 25, according to Kpler.