Hormuz shipping traffic remains below 10-day average at weekend, data shows

Ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz saw a decline to a single-digit average during the weekend, according to ship tracking data released on Monday. This figure stands notably below the typical 10-day average of 14 vessels. Over the weekend, a total of 10 vessels entered the Gulf, comprising a Handysize in ballast, a Handy with LPG, a Supramax carrying fertilizer, and a Suezmax with crude or condensate.

Conversely, four vessels exited the Gulf via the strait, including a mini-bulker, a Handymax with grain, a Panamax carrying metals, and another Supramax loaded with dry bulk cargo. Notably, the data excludes any vessels that may have crossed without their Automatic Identification System activated to evade detection. Separately, a vessel was reportedly hit by an unidentified projectile while navigating the Strait of Hormuz, though details regarding the crew's condition and environmental impact remain unknown.

Additionally, a drone attack targeting a crucial East-West oil pipeline in Saudi Arabia temporarily halted its operations. Prior to the onset of the Iran conflict on February 28, the strait generally facilitated the passage of around 125 large commercial vessels daily, constituting about 20% of the global daily crude oil and liquefied natural gas supply.

Following the Iran war's inception, the U.S. has imposed a blockade on shipping linked to Iran, effectively halting the export of Iranian crude oil since mid-July. The Bab el-Mandeb strait also witnessed varying vessel traffic, with 24 and 27 commodity ships passing through on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, contrasting with an average of approximately 27 vessels over the past ten days.