Six months into Iran war, Hormuz traffic way down, sailors stranded

Since the ceasefire ended on July 8, the strategic Strait of Hormuz has been largely shut down, with an overwhelming majority of vessel traffic unaccounted for due to issues with transponders, signal interference, or lack of satellite imagery. Six months into the Middle East conflict, the critical waterway remains largely paralyzed, with thousands of sailors still trapped in the Gulf and global commodity carrier traffic plummeting to a fraction of its pre-war level.

Prior to Iran's blockade in response to joint US-Israeli strikes in February, approximately one-fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas exports traversed the strait. After Iran closed the passage on March 1, carrier traffic dwindled to an average of just 10 transits per day, down from a daily average of 95 in February.

Following a brief agreement between the United States and Iran in June, shipping activity temporarily rebounded to 36 transits per day, but has since plummeted back to an average of 15 between the resumption of hostilities on July 8 and August 22. In the midst of the chaos, only a few transits per day are now confirmed, representing less than 1% of the pre-war average.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has noted that two-thirds of transits have become unconfirmed since the ceasefire collapse, with many vessels' exact routes remaining uncertain due to disabled transponders, jammed signals, or missing satellite imagery. Currently, around 6,000 sailors and 500 ships are stranded in the Gulf, with ongoing discussions underway to establish secure maritime routes, contingent upon a de-escalation in the region.

Tragically, at least 20 sailors and dockworkers have lost their lives in incidents or attacks since the conflict began.