Commodity vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz declined further on Tuesday amid heightened security concerns and conflicting claims over control of the critical chokepoint.
Ship-tracking data from Kpler showed just six commodity vessels transited the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, down from nine on Monday and below the 10-day average of 11 crossings. One empty supertanker and two smaller tankers entered the Gulf via a lane near Oman, while two medium-range fuel tankers and a post-Panamax vessel exited the Persian Gulf through the Strait, according to the data.
The U.S. administration maintains the Strait remains open to traffic, but Iran has reiterated its claim that the waterway is closed. Tanker movements have become increasingly erratic this week, with vessels delaying or rerouting amid escalating security threats and uncertainty over Iran’s intentions.
The disruption follows an attack on a cargo vessel in the Strait of Hormuz early Tuesday local time. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations reported an incident involving a cargo vessel conducting an outbound transit, though the nature of the projectile remains unspecified.
With transits slowing and regional tensions rising, oil prices extended gains for a fourth consecutive day on Wednesday. Rhetoric from both Iran and the United States has hardened, with neither side signaling a return to negotiations in the near term.
