Iran's ability to fully close Strait of Hormuz declining, analyst says

Shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz has been at only 17 percent of pre-conflict levels in the past week, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) centre. The strategic waterway has become a key battleground in the escalating US-Iran conflict, with US President Donald Trump hinting at declaring it a US territory should the war conclude.

Tehran swiftly rejected this claim, asserting that the Strait of Hormuz "cannot be seized with a tweet" or an aircraft carrier. Only 151 ships passed through the narrow passage in the last seven days, according to the UKMTO's most recent report on Friday. There have been 56 incidents of damage to vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters since the conflict sparked on February 28, though this tally may not include the two attacks reported on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the UKMTO also claimed that a vessel was slightly damaged in a drone attack on Thursday, and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) reported that two of its vessels faced attacks while navigating the Strait of Hormuz. The Southern Omani route, a temporary alternative corridor, remains the most hazardous, accounting for 16 out of the 18 recorded projectile strike incidents since July 6.

The US naval blockade remains in place, prohibiting vessels from entering or leaving any Iranian port within or beyond the strait. However, a recent Iranian-flagged ship was observed entering and exiting the Strait of Hormuz. The majority of flagged ships traversing the contested waterway were registered in Panama and Liberia, each with 12 vessels.

No US-flagged ships were reported. Product tankers, which typically transport refined petroleum products, were the most common type of vessel using the strait. The recent figures represent a marginal improvement from the previous week, when traffic had dwindled to just 4 percent of pre-war levels.