Traffic in Hormuz Strait slows down on Monday, data shows

Traffic in the Hormuz Strait slowed down on Monday, with seven commodity vessels sailing through the strategic waterway, according to Kpler data. This represents a drop from the previous day, when eight vessels transited the strait. The slowdown comes after Iran threatened to retaliate for any new US attacks.

The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway, with a significant portion of the world's oil and gas passing through it. According to the Gulf News, about a fifth of the world's oil and gas passed through the strait before the US-Israeli war with Tehran began in February.

The US had previously carried out a covert operation to clear mines from the strait, with small teams of US Navy divers and SEALs working to remove explosives Iran said it had planted in international and Omani waters. However, Iran can still pose a threat to vessels in the strait, and Washington must convince shipowners that the route is safe enough to return.

Brief written by urgent.news from Middle East Eye, Al-Monitor, Gulf News, CNBC World, MacroBusiness — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.