Shipping slows through Strait of Hormuz after tanker attacks

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz slowed significantly over the weekend following attacks on three tankers operated by the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, according to data from Kpler. The UAE reported the incidents last week, causing ship traffic to nearly come to a halt. In contrast to the previous weekend, when 31 vessels transited the strait, only five commodity vessels were recorded on Saturday, with none on Sunday.

Among the ships that did pass through were an empty Very Large Crude Carrier with its Automatic Identification System disabled and an Indian-flagged Very Large Gas Carrier that utilized the Iranian route. A small tanker carrying Iranian fuel oil also exited. While some ships may navigate undetected with transponders turned off, the current numbers are far below the pre-war average of over 130 ships per day.

US-Iran talks aimed at resolving the Middle East conflict have stalled, and Washington has stated it could maintain a naval blockade of Iran indefinitely. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi of Iran suggested that the US must meet Iran's conditions regarding the strait for shipping to resume. The Strait of Hormuz, which handled a fifth of the world's crude oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war, is a critical waterway for global trade.