On Tuesday, only a handful of vessels passed through the Strait of Hormuz. According to Kpler data, the number fell to eight, the lowest daily figure since August 5 and well below the 10-day average of around 12 vessels. LSEG recorded 11 transits, down from 14 the previous day.
The contrast with normal traffic levels is particularly striking. Before Iran closed the waterway following the start of U.S.-Israeli attacks on February 28, around 130–140 vessels typically passed through the strait each day. Current traffic remains only a fraction of that level.
Most of the vessels that entered the strait on Tuesday chose the Iranian route. Of the eight vessels recorded by Kpler, only one — a coal carrier — exited the strait, while the others continued their journeys.
The decline in traffic is directly linked to security concerns. With hostilities continuing, shipowners are seeking to avoid exposing their vessels and crews to additional risks. At the same time, the United States and Iran-backed Houthi forces have reported separate attacks on vessels, while prospects for an end to the conflict remain uncertain.
The importance of the Strait of Hormuz to global trade is difficult to overstate. A significant share of the world’s seaborne oil and other energy shipments traditionally passes through the waterway. The decline in shipping activity is therefore more than a transportation statistic — it is an indication of how deeply the conflict is already affecting international logistics.
It is also notable that some carriers are seeking alternative routes. On Tuesday, 30 vessels passed through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in the southern Red Sea, above the 10-day average of 25.
As the situation around Hormuz remains unstable, the key question for the market is no longer simply when traffic will recover, but how long global logistics can compensate for restrictions on one of the world’s critical maritime corridors.
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