DUBAI — Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz slowed to a near standstill over the past 24 hours as renewed US-Iran strikes and attacks on commercial vessels heightened security concerns in the strategic waterway.
Shipping industry sources said vessels were increasingly switching off their public tracking transponders, making it difficult to determine the full number of ships crossing the waterway.
MarineTraffic data reviewed by Anadolu showed that only two tankers completed passages through the strait in the 24 hours up to 0625GMT Tuesday.
The vessels were the oil and chemical tankers Seafaith and Niki.
The actual number of crossings may be higher, as vessels can switch off their AIS transponders to conceal their positions.
Six vessels transited the strait on Sunday, ship-tracking data from Kpler showed, the lowest number in five weeks.
Tankers that exited the strait included the Very Large Crude Carrier Humanity, laden with 2 million barrels of Iranian oil, and another tanker, Capetan Andreas, carrying about 500,000 barrels of Kuwaiti oil products, the data showed, while three empty tankers entered the Gulf to load oil. Most of the tankers switched off their transponders when crossing the strait.
There were no liquefied natural gas tankers that entered the strait over the weekend that were visible on ship-tracking data.
One tanker controlled by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co exited the strait between July 10 and July 12, Kpler data showed. The vessel was heading for Dahej port in India.
Bloomberg reported Tuesday that six US-sanctioned very large crude carriers capable of carrying a combined 12 million barrels crossed into the Gulf of Oman over the past week with their tracking systems switched off.
Numerous other sanctioned vessels linked to Tehran, including oil tankers, LPG carriers, and container ships, have also reportedly exited the Gulf through the strait ahead of the planned reinstatement of a US blockade on Iranian ports.
Meanwhile, LPG tankers Monarch and Danuta I were approaching the strait as of 0635GMT and appeared poised to cross but had not yet completed their passages.
The limited activity reflected growing caution among shipowners and operators following renewed military escalation around the waterway.
According to reports, the US carried out strikes on Iranian coastal and military targets, while Iran attacked two UAE-linked oil tankers in retaliation, killing one crew member and injuring others.
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Council condemned attacks on civilian commercial vessels in and around the strait and called for de-escalation, stressing that transit should remain unimpeded and free of tolls or charges.
The IMO said it had recorded 53 confirmed maritime incidents in the region and 14 seafarer deaths as of Monday. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important energy corridors. Around 20 million barrels of oil per day passed through the waterway in 2024, equivalent to about 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption.
Source: Saudi Gazette