Commercial shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped significantly after the recent attacks between the United States and Iran, as reported by the tanker owners' association INTERTANKO.
In a message to its members on Friday, INTERTANKO noted that the number of vessels passing the southern route off Oman’s coast has fallen into the single digits after attacks on commercial shipping on July 7 and subsequent U.S. counterstrikes.
While traffic along the northern route near Iran stayed over 20 vessels, it was still much lower than the more than 70 daily transits that were noted after the ceasefire agreement in June between Washington and Tehran.
The association indicated that the recent military confrontations were more intense and widespread than previous ceasefire breakdowns, with significant attacks impacting Bahrain and Kuwait. However, INTERTANKO mentioned that the Gulf region seemed relatively calm at the time of writing, despite two days of strikes.
Additionally, the group pointed out that technical talks between U.S. and Iranian officials are still ongoing, focusing on nuclear issues and future shipping arrangements in the Gulf. At the same time, the International Maritime Organization's proposed plan for seafarer evacuation is currently on hold.