Shipping data released Monday showed a sharp decline in maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with the average number of commodity vessels crossing the strategic waterway falling to just 10 per day over the past 10 days.
Data from shipping analytics firm Kpler showed that the 10-day moving average stood at 10 vessels on Sunday, down from more than 15 on Friday and around 13 on Saturday. Only two vessels crossed the strait on Saturday, while six passed through on Sunday, most using the Iranian side of the waterway.
Attacks on Iranian Oil Tankers
The decline comes amid a sharp escalation in maritime tensions in the region. The U.S. Central Command said its forces targeted three Iranian oil tankers on Saturday, including a vessel near Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub.
The United States said the strikes were carried out in response to attacks by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps against U.S. warships in the region.
In response, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy said it had targeted three oil tankers that were using unauthorized routes through the strait, in addition to three U.S. vessels in different areas.
Shipping Risks Reach Critical Levels
Maritime intelligence company Marisks said in a briefing that the three Iranian tankers targeted were the Downey, Stark 1 and Kailo, also known as Knoxen.
The company described the attacks as a “major escalation in the maritime conflict,” warning that commercial tankers are increasingly being used as instruments of economic pressure between the opposing sides.
According to Marisks, the risk level is now assessed as “extremely high” for Iranian or Iran-linked cargoes, while risks are considered “significantly elevated” for vessels linked to the United States or operating under U.S. military escort across the Strait of Hormuz and the Gulf of Oman.
The sharp reduction in vessel traffic highlights the growing impact of the escalating confrontation on commercial shipping through one of the world’s most important energy corridors.
