Hormuz shipping traffic falls to single digits, data shows

Singapore - The number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz dropped to seven on Thursday, down from 11 the day before, according to preliminary ship-tracking data released on Friday. This figure is significantly lower than the 10-day average of 15 vessels, highlighting the sharp decline in shipping traffic through the strategic waterway.

Among the seven vessels that passed through, two Panamax ships carried fertiliser and sailed in ballast, while five vessels entered, including a Panamax vessel with dry bulk cargo, a Handysize vessel with steel, a Handysize vessel carrying grains, a medium-range tanker loaded with dirty petroleum products, and a Supramax vessel transporting dry bulk cargo.

The data does not account for any vessels that may have crossed the strait with their Automatic Identification System transponders turned off to evade detection.

Two QatarEnergy-linked vessels, the Al Ghashamiya and the Al Daayen, were also seen inside the Strait of Hormuz on September 9 and 6, respectively, after their last recorded sightings outside the waterway on September 6 and 3. Meanwhile, another QatarEnergy-controlled vessel, Al Marrouna, exited the Strait of Hormuz on September 10, delivering a cargo from Ras Laffan to Pakistan, marking the first known liquefied natural gas shipment aboard a Qatar-linked tanker since late July.

This particular voyage involved a cargo from Ras Laffan to Pakistan, showcasing the ongoing trade activities through the region.

Before the escalation of the Iran war on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz typically accommodated around 125 large commercial vessels per day, including tankers, gas carriers, bulkers, and container vessels, contributing to approximately 20% of the global daily crude oil and liquefied natural gas supply. The ongoing conflict has led to a US blockade of Iranian shipping, halting Iranian crude oil exports since its reimposition in mid-July.

In the Red Sea, a similar situation unfolded as Iran-aligned Houthis seized control of Yemen's port city of Mocha and advanced towards strategic islands, military sources reported. On the same day, 26 commodity vessels were recorded passing through the Bab el-Mandeb strait, of which 10 entered and 16 exited, compared to an average of 27 ships over the previous 10 days.