U.S. warns of rapid escalation in Middle East war
A recent Houthi offensive seized swathes of Yemeni territory, left hundreds dead and displaced more than 110,000 people.
Middle East tensions have led to a significant drop in vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical conduit for a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas. According to shipping data, only a dozen commodity vessels passed through the strait over the weekend, compared to 35 the previous weekend, as per analytics firm Kpler.
The ongoing stalemate between the US and Iran has resulted in a dwindling trickle of traffic through the vital waterway. Despite this, Middle Eastern producers continue to export oil using tankers equipped with transponders. On Sunday, four vessels - two carrying refined oil products and two empty carriers for bulk goods and gas - exited the strait.
Meanwhile, two smaller-sized oil tankers entered the Gulf on the same day, according to provisional data. On Saturday, five vessels carrying agricultural products, liquefied petroleum gas, and fertiliser left the Gulf, while an empty very large gas carrier entered the region. Prior to the US-Israeli war with Iran, which began on February 28, the strait typically handled around 125 large commercial vessels daily, comprising tankers, gas carriers, bulkers, and container vessels.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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