Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remained subdued over the weekend as the U.S. and Iran exchanged fresh threats, with fewer than 20 vessels recorded crossing the critical chokepoint.
On Saturday, 13 tankers passed through the strait, while only four completed the transit on Sunday, according to Kpler data cited by Reuters. The prior Friday saw 16 tankers, and a very large crude carrier exited the strait on Thursday, the data showed. Over the seven days ending August 21, a total of 103 vessels entered the strait while 89 exited, UK Maritime Trade Operations reported. Of those, 45% were tankers, with oil tankers accounting for 56% of the tanker traffic.
Traffic levels remain well below historical norms, with AIS-detected transits approximately 90% below pre-conflict baselines and continuing to decline since a June 24–26 peak, UKMTO noted.
The reduced activity coincides with escalating rhetoric. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned of an imminent economic offensive against Iran in a Financial Times op-ed, stating that President Donald Trump’s administration had already dismantled much of Iran’s military capabilities and weakened its nuclear program. "At dawn begins an economic D-Day — the single greatest financial offensive ever marshalled against an adversary," he wrote.
Iran responded by threatening to halt all oil exports from the Persian Gulf. "If the economic war continues, not a single drop of oil will be exported, neither through the Strait of Hormuz nor from anywhere in the Persian Gulf," said Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, in a social media post.
Despite the heightened tensions, oil prices eased at the start of the week, reflecting market uncertainty ahead of the U.S. economic measures against Tehran. Bessent’s remarks did not outline specific details of the proposed sanctions campaign.
