The number of vessels tracked through the Strait of Hormuz fell to a one-week low of eight on Tuesday as shipping operators continued to avoid the strategic waterway amid ongoing hostilities in the Middle East.
Kpler data showed that Tuesday’s tally was below the 10-day average of about 12 vessels and represented the lowest daily count since August 5.
Only one vessel, a coal carrier, exited the strait, while the remaining vessels were still making their way through the waterway. All seven vessels entering the strait travelled along the Iranian route.
Separate data from LSEG showed 11 transits through the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, down from 14 the previous day.
The decline in vessel traffic comes as tensions surrounding the Iran conflict remain high and prospects for an end to the hostilities appear to have weakened.
The United States and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthis reported separate attacks on shipping on Tuesday, adding to concerns about the security of commercial vessels operating in the region.
Iran has also said the Strait of Hormuz would remain closed unless the United States accepts its conditions for ending the conflict.
The waterway is one of the world’s most important maritime routes for energy shipments. Before Iran closed the strait following the start of U.S.-Israeli attacks on February 28, around 130 to 140 vessels typically passed through the waterway each day.
The sharp decline in traffic highlights the impact of the conflict on commercial shipping and the growing caution among vessel owners operating around the Gulf.
Meanwhile, vessel traffic through the Bab al-Mandab Strait at the southern end of the Red Sea showed a different trend.
Kpler data recorded 30 vessels crossing the Bab al-Mandab Strait on Tuesday, above the 10-day average of 25.
The contrasting traffic levels underline the disruption facing shipping operators as they assess security risks across key maritime routes connecting the Middle East with global markets.
