Shipping slows through Strait of Hormuz after tanker attacks, data shows
This comes amid stalled US-Iran talks to resolve the Middle East conflict
The Strait of Hormuz experienced a slowdown in shipping traffic over the weekend following attacks on tankers, data revealed on Monday (Aug 17), as ongoing US-Iran talks to address the Middle East conflict dragged on. According to Kpler shiptracking data, only five commodity vessels navigated the strait on Saturday, with none reported for Sunday, compared to 31 transits in the previous weekend.
Among the ships passing through on Saturday were an empty Very Large Crude Carrier with its Automatic Identification System disabled and an Indian-flagged Very Large Gas Carrier utilizing the Iranian route, as indicated by Kpler data. One small tanker carrying Iranian fuel oil also exited the strait, according to the data. The slowdown appears to have been a result of the United Arab Emirates reporting the attack on three vessels belonging to Abu Dhabi National Oil Company during transit the previous week.
The US has pledged to maintain a naval blockade on Iran indefinitely. Prior to the US and Israel's initiation of a war against Iran in February, the Strait of Hormuz typically handled over 130 ships per day, carrying a fifth of the world's shipments of crude oil and liquefied natural gas. Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi of Iran stated that Washington must meet Iran's conditions concerning the strait for shipping to resume, as reported in an interview with local media on Saturday.
The Bab el-Mandeb strait, where Yemeni Houthis declared a naval blockade on Saudi Arabia on July 20, saw 49 weekend transits of commodity vessels, down from 55 in the previous week, with no tracked Saudi oil shipments.
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