Hormuz shipping drops sharply as nine vessels transit, Bab el-Mandeb near normal levels
Only nine ships moved through the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, far below the pre-war daily average of about 125, while 27 vessels used the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, close to its recent average.
Data released on Thursday recorded nine vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz, among them Supramax carriers loaded with metals, grain and other dry bulk cargoes, as well as an empty very large gas carrier; one Supramax carrying fertilizer was reported to have exited the waterway. These numbers are markedly lower than the pre-conflict norm of about 125 large commercial ships per day, which together move roughly one-fifth of the world’s daily crude oil and LNG supplies.
The counts do not include any ships that may have disabled their transponders to avoid detection. A senior Iranian official, who asked to remain unnamed, indicated that diplomatic efforts must continue and that Tehran is assessing the United States' response to its peace proposals, which prioritize ending the naval blockade and reopening the strait. Meanwhile, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait saw 27 commodity vessels transit on Wednesday, up from 24 the day before and essentially in line with its ten-day average of 26 ships.
Why it matters
The sharp decline in Hormuz traffic highlights the ongoing impact of the Iran-U.S. conflict on global energy flows and trade routes.
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