Shipping data shows vessels transiting Strait of Hormuz drop to four

Preliminary shipping data released on Wednesday showed that the number of vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz remained below 10, with just four ships passing through on Tuesday, down from seven the previous day. This figure is significantly lower than the 10-day average of 18 vessels.

According to Reuters, the data indicated that the total included two ships exiting the strait and two entering. None of these were very large crude carriers or liquefied natural gas tankers.

A very large gas carrier named Saliut departed via the Iranian route carrying about 470,000 barrels of liquefied petroleum gas, while a Panamax tanker called Nautilus left with around 510,000 barrels of naphtha on an untracked and unidentified route.

The two vessels entering the area were both cargo ships: one was a "dirty" oil products tanker, typically used for short-haul shipments of crude oil or heavy fuel, and the other was a dry bulk carrier. Both entered via the Iranian route.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the number of vessels passing through the Bab al-Mandab Strait reached 22 on Tuesday, showing little change from the previous day's count of 24 ships.