VLCC transits climb at Hormuz; steady at Bab al-Mandab for second day

The Strait of Hormuz recorded six Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) transits on October 25, a notable increase from five on October 24, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea. In contrast, the Bab al-Mandab Strait observed 42 VLCC crossings on October 25, marking a significant rise from 27 on the same date last week. Overall, traffic in Hormuz remained steady, with 17 ships transiting on both October 24 and 25.

Meanwhile, Bab al-Mandab saw a notable increase in transit volume, jumping from 27 to 42 ships over the same period.

The outbound VLCC from the Persian Gulf on October 25 was the Monaco Prosperity, while inbound VLCCs included Bangladesh Prosperity, Ennie, Thailand Prosperity, West Loyalty, and Bulgaria Prosperity. Similarly, Bab al-Mandab witnessed Della making its way northbound on October 25 and Karina also heading northbound on October 24.

US forces marked the export of at least 1.5 billion barrels of crude oil through Hormuz since the summer, with US Central Command commander Admiral Brad Cooper flying over the chokepoint in a CH-47 Chinook, noting the support from CENTCOM forces in facilitating safe transit for over 3,000 commercial vessels in the past six months.

Despite Iran launching its most substantial wave of attacks on merchant ships around Hormuz and in the broader region this month, with the International Maritime Organization recording 29 attacks between October 1 and 22, US naval commander Admiral Brad Cooper emphasized the free flow of commercial traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. He credited the efforts of US personnel in keeping the commercial routes clear and stressed the ongoing focus on maintaining uninterrupted shipping despite Iran's aggressive actions.